Drive It Like You Stole It - Day 462
G Baby,
Now that you have your first car, I have only one piece of advice. DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT, said no responsible father ever. For better or worse, those were the words I used to live (drive) by. I'm here to take you another direction, but first, a walk down memory lane.
The Mighty Eleanor
I started driving during the era of the Bad Boys 2 and Gone in 60 Seconds, movies that featured the dopest and fastest cars being driven full throttle through congested streets of insert various major city (except Atlanta, we were not yet Hollywood East like we are today). There were explosions left and right, chase scene after chase scene, and cars literally flying through the air, RIP Eleanor. And then there was the beginning of the Fast and Furious saga. One just came out this summer of '19, but the first 3 hit the big screen before I was out of high school 13 long years ago. Yikes.
The Fast and the Furious movies were about street racing, at least in the beginning. They took the hardest of lefts and went vengeance murder mystery after their trip to Tokyo. I blame Bow Wow, but I also digress. The new features are still enjoyable movies, but they lost their original identity. The cars in the beginning of the series weren't super cars like the Ferraris and Porsches from Bad Boys 2 and Gone. They were cars I saw in the streets all day, every day, like the Eclipse and the Jetta. That is what set them apart. These speed demons were onscreen driving Nissans, Hondas, and Toyotas, all brands Mimi had over the years. Now, the ones in the movie were crazy suped up and painted fluorescent colors, but they were identifiable as the same affordable imports that were all over the US of A at the time.
The concept of normal cars tearing up the streets awakened something inside of me. I began wanting to play Need for Speed in real life, swerving and curving. I wanted to be a street racer like my mother before me. I know what you're thinking. "No way Mimi used to race cars." WRONG! WRONG! CHALLENGE HER! Moving on. With the combination of the blood in my veins and these movies with normal cars burning rubber, how could I not have raced once or twice? With the exception of the Batmobile you ride in today, I have raced every car I have ever owned. Standard transportation like the Dodge Stratus and the Buick Regal saw some action throughout the streets of Atlanta. Whether friend or random, there was always some other racing enthused, adrenaline junkie ready to go for gold. Those were reckless times.
I am not telling you this to encourage you to race cars, quite the opposite. Street racing is stupid and dangerous. I was stupid and dangerous. I honestly believe the government had a hand in the pivot the Fast series took. There was and is enough death on the roadways of America without people speeding and weaving through traffic after leaving the movie theater. Was Tokyo Drift a government plant? I won't say it wasn't. I tell you this to let you know there isn't an aspect of my life you haven't touched. The way I drive today is a direct result of your arrival and presence.
You and I are in the car every morning! When we're on our daily commute, my hands are generally at 10 and 2. You're always watching me. I’ve always used my signal when changing lanes, but now I use them even when making a right turn from the right turn only lane. I don’t go over 2000 RPMs unless I’m on the highway. I don’t eat and drive, unless you give me a Cheerio. I’ve drastically cut back on my displays of frustration when people cut me off or refuse to allow me to merge. Even the general volume of my music has changed. I like my music loud. If noise violations are handed out at a 10, I used to live at a solid 9 on the roads. We cruise at a 4 these days. I still go on yellow, but I don't text and drive.
I continue to see changes in myself for the better because you came into my life. Your mother and I can’t thank you enough for helping to tame this wild beast. I still have a ways to go, but we can always acknowledge progress if we're still moving forward. Remember that. Also remember to not be like me, but to be better than me. If I'm blessed to have even half the impact on you that you're having on me, you'll get there and beyond. Lastly, do your dear young dad a favor. Don't drive it like you stole it. Drive it like you have an incredibly precious gift in the backseat.
I love you bruh.
Daddy
RIP Paul Walker
