Vintage…

Our Jaguar is a rare beauty.

It is sleek and powerful. I love driving this classic if it starts and makes it home.

I tend to maneuver the Sleek Beauty with trepidation.

The Sleek Beast is what I refer to her during trying times.

We have a morning routine. I enter the car and settle into the lush red leather bucket seats. I turn her on, but never pressure her. I do not start her before morning ablutions consisting of a full throttle choke and a brief tap tap tap on the accelerator.

I count to 8 and then proceed to turn the key, hopeful, that within 4 attempts she purrs into action.

Once on the road she glides like a panther.

I must admit to feeling panic if I smell gas as we have had leakage issues in the past just like a senior experiencing incontinence, except I cannot place a Depends on her underpinnings

You see I have come to view the Sleek Beauty/Beast as a metaphor for aging. Getting started in the morning presents challenges, there can be leakage issues (thankfully not me yet) and every day new irritating issues arise.

Aging adults can experience aches and pains as does the car. Many seniors go in for body work and facelifts…so does the Jag. She blows cold air through an allegedly closed window. Many humans blow hot and cold. Her rearview mirror does not see as well as it used to. Ditto for seniors. Her locks don’t always function as do various human body parts. Her lights can dim and the antenna and wipers frequently experience erectile dysfunction

Vintage can still be beautiful and completely functional.

It just takes a bit of time, money and patience to keep both engines revved and in tip top shape.