the volvo
and the time arrives for me to sell my volvo. or volv, as the photo would suggest. perhaps the time arrived quite long ago, but i was simply unwilling to heed its whispered calling. the problem of course, is that i have so many memories tied to this car. it has essentially left the world of inanimate objects because of its presence in so much of my life experience. oh if only it had ears and vocal chords and the will to tell stories.
i've long had this fantasy of restoring it to some pristine form, and never owning any other car. but then in time, they will perfect the hydrogen fuel cell car, the planet will run out of oil, and i will be left with a piece of beautiful history. not that that's bad. but i ask myself, how long can one hold onto something? about a year and a half past, i drove this car for what will likely be our last voyage together. it was past midnight, in a dizzying mess of rain. i was headed down oak street in san francisco {rather steep hill} when a light turned red and i applied the brakes, to discover absolutely no resistance. as i rocketed down the hill running red lights and yelling out of my window {horn doesn't work; driver side window will not roll up} i wondered just why i was in this car. my mind darted back to watching those kids get hit by the car going 60, around amsterdam and 103rd in new york. i recalled the sound their bodies made as the car struck them, and hurled them up into the dark winter sky. the streets wet with their blood, and the air filled with a mother's screaming. how such things can haunt ones' dreams.
but i made it home that night from oak st. {yes, i foolishly drove the entire way} and left the car to rest in front of my house. one last memory, drenched in adrenaline and giant heaps of luck. the window down, my face cold from rain.
Posted by jeff at October 21, 2003 09:56 AM
....................................
jefferson...this is not the same volvo you had throughout high school, is it?...if my memory serves me correctly, that one was a shade of red that had faded with long hours in the sun...that car was always fun to cruise around in...it had a distinctive smell of old car...i remember it well...
Posted by: old friend at October 22, 2003 12:51 PM
yes indeed, it is the same car. my mother bought it new in 1966, and i bought it from her after turning 16. what a collection of memories this bundle of steel must have. at some point in college, i had it painted black and learned how to work beneath the hood. and of course, the smell has never changed.
Posted by: jeff pitcher at October 22, 2003 01:17 PM
the rain comes again. i am grateful for brakes that work. but avoid driving as much as i can. the town is lonely and at war with itself. some people change, others hang on till they can't anymore...
there is a gloom cast over this week, as one of our musicians left the world yesterday. such gray rainy music, ironic that he ended it in los angeles.
elliott smith 1969-2003
Posted by: Dave at October 22, 2003 06:17 PM
it is infuriating how bound we are to these metal beasts. sucking money. convenience is a double-edged sword.
"the more you drive, the less intelligent you get"-radiohead
Posted by: Dave at October 22, 2003 06:20 PM
I think this place needs a lift, especially Dave, so I thought I'd share a piece I read on alternet. Tho' it sounds a bit vague and fluffy to me, the ideas are very intriguing. There's a link on here to a page with a more in depth view on the agenda.
Apollo's Appeal
By Dan Carol, Eugene Weekly
October 13, 2003
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first installment of a regular column by Dan Carol that connects smart projects and new pathways to progressive power.
The bottom line: We know 10 times over what's wrong with George Bush, weenie Democrats and all that jazz. So let's stop documenting the dilemmas – and instead begin pouring concrete on a new foundation to make it right.
This time: a national security strategy to feel good about. Ready for regime change? I bet you are. But it's not going to happen if we can't make the majority of Americans feel safe. Fortunately, there's a new project called The Apollo Alliance that's baking up a tasty new recipe for clean energy, national security and jobs, jobs, jobs.
Imagine spending serious money – like George Bush does for tax cut trillions and Halliburton handouts – on an ambitious 10-year, $300 billion effort for sustainable jobs, cleaner manufacturing, youth and urban apprenticeships and smarter transportation. The program pays for itself with jobs and greater energy independence in U.S. exports. It revitalizes the U.S. manufacturing base. Creates three million jobs. Heals labor vs. environmental grouchiness over Arctic drilling. Fuels the hopeful, can-do spirit that put America on the moon. And maybe even inspires the right kind of patriotism.
So what's not to like? In polls, the Apollo initiative is testing off the charts with Joe Six-Pack voters – the voting block we need to win crucial Rust Belt states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan in 2004. On the campaign trail, Democratic presidential candidates are offering dueling Apollo-type policy plans. Across the country, high-tech and environmental leaders like the Sierra Club's Carl Pope are also joining 17 major unions in saying yes to the Apollo approach.
Slowly, but surely, the political wedge that George Bush drove between labor and environment is beginning to close. That's good news – because we need Turtles and Teamsters to march together in 2004 (as they did in Seattle in 1999).
Frankly it still amazes me that neither Bush nor the Democrats in Congress stepped forward with an ambitious crash effort like this before. It seemed like such a no-brainer in the wake of Sept. 11th. Call me nostalgic, but I remember my grandfather sharing stories of how he saved aluminum foil in World War II. I am inspired by the images of Rosie the Riveter. I believe we must fight terrorism – but the fight begins when we come together around a shared vision of hope and optimism – not the fear that fuels the Bush policies.
Sappy I know, but I think the greatest generation is yet to come. So check out action.apolloalliance.org – there's a top-flight, 10-point policy plan and a bottom-up, grassroots strategy for infusing these ideas into the presidential debate in key primary states like Iowa. For you policy wonks, imagine big block grants to deficit-starved states, to seed regional strategies without a one-size-fits-all solution, tied to hard targets and caps on greenhouse gas emissions. But before the laws can change or the money can move, first we gotta win – and Apollo is the winning (not whiny!) message for Democrats in 2004.
Posted by: trex at October 24, 2003 10:32 AM
Jeff,
Any chance of one more ride?
And again, thank you for the weekley trips to Gilman - with Gus asleep, head against the window, Ian blarring his opinionated vocals, and myself - reveling the volv in all its glory.
-j
Posted by: Joshua Levy at October 29, 2003 04:42 PM
