Some of my favorite conversations with people I don’t know have come about because of the car I drive, a 2020 Ford Mustang Convertible in “Race Red”.
Things you may or may not know about this car:
- A red Mustang has been my dream car since I was 16 years old, when my good friend Justin used to give me rides to high school in his own. (His was a red 1960-something and whoa, even in 1984-85 that was a super sweet ride!)
- Jim and I ordered and bought mine during the pandemic. We picked it up five years ago today!
- When we were placing the order, I was thisclose to choosing blue instead, because I wondered if the red was going to be “too much/too bright/too extra.” I’m so glad I stuck to what I always wanted. No regrets!
- This car saved me/us during the initial months of the pandemic. When we were all on lockdown, Jim and I would go for long drives on the back roads around here. My dream car surpassed all expectations.
- I drive with the car top down nearly all year round (Tennessee!). If the temperature is 60 degrees and up, game on. If the temperature is 52-59 degrees, I drive with the top down but windows up and heat (and seat heaters) on. If the temperature is 51 or below, the top is closed. Sad trombone!
- I love this car just as much today as I did the evening we went to the Ford dealer to pick it up, when my breath left my body and tears filled my eyes as I looked at it for the very first time.
I had two funny conversations just last week. The first one was in Nashville, when I was on my way to meet a friend for lunch. The car top was down, of course (June!), and my music was blasting, as usual. I exited the highway and stopped for the traffic light at the top of the ramp. A small white sedan was in the left lane, and the driver and her passenger were waving at me to get my attention.
“Whoops!” I exclaimed, turning down my stereo. “Hi!”
The driver smiled and said, “Hey, I just wanted to know if you’d want to trade cars with me, JUST FOR TODAY.”
I laughed and pretended to think about it before responding, “You know what? I think I’ll have to pass. But it was really, REALLY sweet of you to offer!”
All three of us cackled like crazy. The light turned green and as we drove on, side by side. “Have a good day!” We waved to each other as we drove off, still laughing.
These kinds of interactions are MY FAVORITE and as you can imagine, they happen a lot. My car is unable to travel incognito.
A few evenings later, I was leaving my mom and sister’s house after helping them with their (local) move. I was exhausted both physically and mentally, and what I really wanted was an ice cream cone from McDonald’s. I had been thinking about this ice cream cone for a couple of weeks and finally decided that evening to act on it.
After the McDonald’s close to my mom’s house let me know that their ice cream machine was broken–COME ON, MCDONALD’S–I went to a different drive-thru location near my own house. I got my cone and pulled into the huge empty parking lot of the strip mall next door to sit in my car, roof open, music on, peacefully savoring the ice cream.
Just a minute after I parked, an orange Mustang convertible with two guys in it pulled up right next to me in a hurry. (If I had to guess, I’d say they were in their early thirties.)
The driver smiled and asked if he could take a picture of our cars next to each other. I sat there with my cone and said “Seriously?” My brain ran through a few situations that caused me to be on high alert with this exchange.
The passenger slid down in his seat slightly, which cracked me up. His embarrassment was palpable. These guys were likely harmless.
The driver said, “Yes! If it’s okay, of course.”
I looked at him and then looked at my ice cream, and then looked at him again.
“You can take a picture of our cars together but I’m not getting out of my car. I’m going to sit right here and enjoy my ice cream.” This response was probably a combination of street smarts and also stubbornness. I finally got my freaking ice cream and I was going to enjoy it to the fullest.
He got out of his car and walked about fifteen or twenty feet away from our cars, and then turned towards the cars, crouching down to snap a few pictures. This action was probably a combination of his wanting to be artsy and also make sure that this rando woman who was clearly disheveled from a day of physical labor and trying to eat her ice cream in peace wouldn’t be in the photos.
While this was happening I asked his friend if the car was orange because he was a Vols fan.
“I don’t know,” he said, “If it is, I need to get out. I like the color of your car better. I’m a Buckeyes fan.”
“Oh, awesome!” I said.
“Are you?” He asked, surprised at my enthusiasm.
“Kind of,” I replied. “I work remotely for a hospital in Columbus.”
“Right on!” He gave me a thumbs up.
Finished with his photo session, the driver smiled at me as he jumped back into his car. “Thanks so much. I hope you have a great night. Enjoy your ice cream!”
I sat there until the entire cone was gone, and then drove off, music blaring, as the sun set.
