Well, as some of you may have noticed, I’ve been absent for a bit. After several deaths in the family, a few out of state trips, and well, life, I found myself neglecting my blogging duties. Not cool! So during the sad times, and days of reflection on family, friends, and well, life, I started to think about the important things in life. There was a quote that the Great Skunkle was quite fond of that kept ringing in my ears, and was shared at his memorial by his Son that I’ve been contemplating. “Those who attach themselves to material things suffer great losses” This makes sense, and I agree! Yet this is a really, a very curious quotation from a man who’s home was like a museum; packed with artifacts associated with his many interests. So, knowing that he had so much stuff, and loved to collect stuff, what did he mean by this? 

It took Uncle Skunkle and Aunt Teetah’s passing to really make me understand the profound nature of this quote as it relates to not only their own “collecting” by mine as well. So, how is this relevant to people who consider themselves Automotive Philosophers? How is this relevant even to me? 

Does it mean that because I like “stuff” I’m a bad person? Does the act of me being a car guy make me a shallow person? Well, that depends… 

As those of you who frequent local classic car shows know, car guys and gals are a wacky bunch. Who else would spend thousands of hours and dollars on machines that are for all intents and purposes, appliances of transportation? Some better than others… These folks tend to have some manner of obsessive compulsive disorder as well about their own machines.  

For the most part, these characters LOVE to show off their machines. They love to talk about them, and remind you how much more superior there machine is compared to just about everything rolling the roads. Most of these guys treat their cars like holy relics, only bringing them out to show them at venues that sometimes encroach on religious in their nature, but like a relic, are only for looking at. They own them for the sake of owning, and displaying. The generally don't even want to talk to you about these cars, let alone share them with you. Don’t Touch!  

This is unfortunate. Some of these folks go as far as to put up little signs that remind you that touching their car will result in your death. These folks are generally rather unpleasant, usually answering any of your questions with a gruff response – reminding you how inferior your knowledge is to their own, further substantiating their elevated rank in society when compared to your own. The only reason they tend to even bring their cars to these shows is so that they can check up on their fellow showmen to see how they rank up. It’s mostly about competition.  

There are a unique bunch that tend to be the kryptonite to these “supermen” These are what I tend to refer to as the “real” car guys. These are the guys that relish in sharing their love with anyone who will listen. These can be, and often are, the most generous and gregarious folks in the automotive hobby. If you utter the words to them “this is my dream car!” You may very quickly find yourself sitting in the driver’s seat of the machine of your dreams, receiving the most detailed and fascinating tour of it’s features and options that you could ever imagine. On some VERY VERY rare occasions, the owner of said machine may even offer to take you for a ride! To them, the automotive hobby is about sharing.  

So, what about Skunkle’s quote?  

Well, I can only speculate, but Skunkle LOVED to tell stories. You could pick up just about any object in their home, and there would be a story associated with it. A story that he would LOVE to tell and share. To him, I think, possessions were memories. Things which were accumulated over the years that reminded Teetah and Skunkle of their lives together. Artifacts of time past, and a great many stories, travels, people, and adventures. These “things” had no real value themselves, nor did they value these items so much as possessions. These were the outward parts of their lives that visitors could freely see, and could become conversation starters. As I had indicated in a previous posting, I have so many fond memories of them in their home. Many of these memories are of them telling me stories about things that I would find on shelves. Family history, general trivia: fascinating things.  

As it pertains to myself as I sit here in my family room, surrounded by more books than many small libraries, furniture, art, pictures, and artifacts of my own I can really grasp the “those who attach themselves to material things suffer great losses” concept. I love to buy things! I love things! However, I don’t love them as possessions, I love them as things that I can share with others. Things that when people come into my home I can share with them. It isn’t the owning of the possession itself that gives me gratification. It is the potential of appreciation. The potential that a particular object has in its ability to transcend being a an item bought, but becoming a memory. The object itself has no value. It is the imprint surrounding the situation of the object that has value. 

In reading my own righting above, I’m wondering if I should get into conventional philosophy! Well, maybe not… 

If my house were to burn down tonight (God forbid!) I really wouldn’t be bothered so much by the loss of the material possessions as it’s the memories of friends and family that don’t exist physically that I will always have. It’s the memories and the people that have the real value. These are the things worth keeping.  

When applying this to my own automotive pursuits I feel the same way… I love cars! I love their styling, performance, the way they feel when being driven, and their engineering. What I love the most about them are the stories that they have. The people attached to them and their stories. Without the people telling these stories – sharing, the car is just a car.  

I’m reminded of the movie Dangerous Minds. In the movie, Michele Pfeiffer is a teacher in an inner city school, struggling to connect with her students who feel that they’ve been written off. During a particular part of the movie (I’m afraid this may be a spoiler) the kids are learning about the Holocaust, and its related horrors. They read The Diary of Anne Frank and much drama comes to the surface when they get to the end of the book. She further substantiates the importance of history by taking them to a museum where they are able to see first-hand the horrors of WWII. They are all for the most part completely unaware of the events of the war, and are profoundly stunned by their learning. After they go to the museum, Pfeiffer’s character arranges for Miep Gies, a conspirator who helped to hide Anne Frank and her family to come talk to the class. Now history has come alive for these kids. The stories that Ms. Gies shares with the group of her first hand experiences is sobering, and makes a profound impact on these kids. This history came alive…. 

In referencing the above movie, it wasn’t the book or even the trip to the museum that really brought home this part of history for these kids, it was the person. Ms. Gies taking the time to talk to them, tell them stories, and answer their questions that put value on all of the artifacts and “possessions” that were viewed in the museum. The many glasses, jewelry, clothing, etc, were just old things to them. It wasn’t until “life” was attached that these things started to gain “value”.  

Those of you who are car people – people that show your cars, think about that. Unless YOU as the curator of these machines, of this history are willing to share it with those around you, all you have is a large bit of metal and plastic. To the world, your possession has little value. It’s the simple act of sharing your interest and your possessions which has the real value, not the possession itself. To a stranger walking through your home when you’re not there, the many collectibles, and artifacts you have may very well be viewed as worthless to them. It is you, and your sharing of the stories behind these objects that creates the real value.  

My possessions, then, have no value. I take no pride in the ownership of things. I take pride and joy in the ability to share what I have with others. To spend time talking to people and sharing stories with them is where the value lies. I love cars not so much for the matter of ownership, but for the sense of community and sharing that owning a historic vehicle brings. I love to talk to people about cars, to share my hobby and interests. I don’t need a car to do it, but it helps. The car itself does not have any “real” value, and can be taken away without much consequence. It’s the memories surrounding the car, the people that matter most! 

So, remember, the “things” that we collect in life are of little value unless they are shared. It’s the act of sharing: the memories that have all of the value. As long as you share, and have those memories, the loss of anything material will not cause you to suffer any losses for those who DO attach themselves to material things WILL suffer great losses!