PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

My grandfather loved his cars, and more than that he loved playing with them, fixing them, dismantling them and rebuilding them. Sometimes dismantling them to the point where he could not rebuild them, but he did not care, because he enjoyed every second of it. Red and fast, black and classy, old and rusty, new and glossy, he collected them all. Italian or German, Japanese or American, he found something unique in every single one. He respected its engineering and complexity, as well as its speed and power. Although at the time, about 10 years ago, I only saw them as bolts and metals put together in a very ingenious way, I now know that the cars served as a I central interest that kept him and his family together, for worst or for better. It could be blistering hot, or there could be a fight in the family, even a crisis in the country and still, every Saturday my grandfather and his 4 sons got together and worked on his cars, it was their religion. From trips to Pebble Beach auto shows, to auto club meetings to Formula 1 races, my grandfather participated in them all. Even though he is long gone, his value for cars is still intact, passed on to the next generation, to my generation. Now it’s my father, 2 brothers and me that work on his cars, reminiscent of my grandfather’s days. Every bolt screwed and metal bent, always in loving memory of my grandfather and his passion for cars. It is not only my father, but also my uncles too. His passion extended to all my family; an interest that keeps us intact, to this day in fact. There is no doubt in my mind, that me and my children will continue this practice, I owe my grandfather, and my father, at least that. I never really understood how my interests developed, but I know that my grandfather, and his cars, had a lot of influence. I owe my passion for motorsport, interest in engineering and vivid memory of my grandfather, all because my grandfather loved his cars. In retrospect I can see why he loved them so much, to him they where more than just cars. They where what helped him hold his family together. It might have started because he loved his cars, but it certainly continued because he loved his family.