Why we chose our various automobiles is sometimes influenced by obscure reasons.

50 years ago Harvey, one of my high school classmates, and I were drinking beer, Miller High Life I believe, on the bank of a creek located near Taylor Texas. We were both farm boys and being young and drinking beer, we were full of anticipation about our future. We had just been to our high school homecoming and were astounded as to how old the 50th year reunion members were. We projected, around the 2nd beer, as to we how we would return to Taylor for our 50th reunion. As guys, we decided that the automobile would play a major part. As I remember, we promised to come back to the 50th reunion in something like a Corvette or maybe even something more exotic like a Jaguar. However, we could not decide on if we should come back in coupe or convertible. I think, on the 4th beer, we decided to come back in both. We would drive one and have the other one trucked in to drive at our leisure. I had seen Harvey at several reunions since then and we always had a great time. Well, this year marks the year of our 50th reunion.

I wanted to do something crazy last December and started looking at cars, not just any car, but a special car. First I wanted an Aston Martin, but my wife convinced me that I was not Aston Martin material. Then, the Bentley became my choice and as I dwelled on it, I remembered the promise that Harvey and I made 50 years ago. I thought that this selection would blow Harvey away. It was not a deciding factor, but I have to admit, it was indeed part of the equation. After I wound up with the current GTC, I decided to give Harvey a call and set him up for my triumphant return to Taylor. It turns out that Harvey passed away about a year ago.

As I prepare to return to Taylor tomorrow, after 50 years, I am reminded that the older we get, the more sentimental we get. Hence the saying, there is no fool like an old fool. And right or wrong, foolish or not, I feel compelled to tell this story to someone else. Someone else who might think it mattered.

 

Sad, but good read.

 

 

Sad ending. Some friends are very hard to replace.

 

I was really enjoying the story till the passing Harvey.

This experience proves to me that waiting to long could be a mistake. Enjoy something today and don't pass on life. Saving $ and amassing wealth may be fine but liquidating it is better.

Very sorry for your loss.

 

Thanks doctor. You were able to encapsulate the underlying point of the story. I came very close to choosing a different ending, one which more fully explained it. But, I had the feeling that someone out there would do it for me. And you, Dr. Disaster (if that is your real name), did it better than I would have.

BTW - the reunion turned out the be enjoyable. I was able cause a considerable amount of trouble among my fellow classmates. Ruffled a few feathers, but did not cause any hard feelings that I know about. I did have trouble explaining my new vocation of "Certified Cat Psychiatrist".

 

Grwisher,

Wow, what a truly touching story and thank you for sharing it with us. My mom raised me saying that if it can be replaced with money than it has no real importance. The people we love.... how one uses their ever-so-precious time.... these are what is truly important in life imho.

Was just listening to this song and please be as so kind as to allow me to share it with everyone here....

 

you kept your promise. i'm sure he was looking down on you and smiling as you pulled up in your GTC

 

Thanks for the kind comments. I hesitated to post this thread for fear that it would prove how foolish I can be from time to time. But, as I have grown to know some of you on this forum, I felt that it would probably be Ok.

Switching subjects, thanks for the song reference. The first line in the song "I hope you don't lose your sense of wonder..." got me to thinking about my Bentley. I just took a fairly long ride to my reunion and I could not get over how smoothly she ran. Now, I have had that feeling many times and you would think I would be getting use to it by now. But time and time again, I feel that the worst part of the trip is getting to where I am going. Many other aspects of owning a Bentley, like this forum, make it a source of wonder, just like the song encourages.

 

My name is Mel Donesky and I hastily choose my name on this forum. I really never knew i would have grown so fond of this site because of you all. The name comes from the idea that life is full of small disasters and pleasures that comprise the whole experience. Mostly stemming from my hunting and fishing adventures where "stuff" seems to happen a lot leaving me with the empty creel.

Odd that you mention foolishness. Most of the threads we have on here are that and 90% of my posts are really meaningless in the big picture. This thread is not one of those and has more real worth than most of the forum. Taking the courage to reveal your true person is where the rewards are. Cudos mate to your courage making the forum worthwhile.

Love that song BTW and better get back to work before I need a tissue.

 

I love the 6. We are not all serious about who's got more toys, money or women. We all and I am very sure of this, have plenty of material things that we can brag about. I feel that we are all very human. We laugh, cry, and share wonderful stories of life, death and struggle. And most interesting, we all bonded because of this extreme passion for the Bentley GT P.S. Grwisher, what's a Certified Cat Psychiatrist?

 

You meant GTC, right?

 

We are going to rumble royale one day. It will be the GT boys against the GTC boys.

 

Speaking of "rumble royal", are you still coming to Texas? If so, when?

 

Depending on how the show pans out and those boys are willing to work with me, mid November is the plan. I need the motor work. I can do it out here. But we are not sure about the dyno tuning. No one out here has ever tuned a Bentley to those parameters before and I don't want them blowing or melting anything. Lord knows, I went through one bad tuning already. I have seen so many JDM style street cars tuned with the wrong parameters and motors can get very expensive.