wildernessVoice

Now I know some may be surprised by seeing this photo, but this is actually my favorite vehicle I’ve ever driven. A very select group of individuals will have an appreciation for such a statement. I can imagine my friends in Corpus Christi, if you’re seeing this, will know the magnitude of such a statement. For others, who have never known me in a face to face way, you may not be all that surprised.

You see, for a number of years I literally chose cars I could just about fly in. One of these days I may get around to scanning some of the pics into my computer. Unfortunately, it will require me to actually find them. But I have been known to indulge myself with some pretty fancy wheels. The one most people seem to recollect is my 1999 Diablo SV. Now this may give you an idea of what it looked like, though mine was slightly different. I think the most notable difference is that the wheels on mine were black, not yellow. I know, probably very minor, but still worth noting. There’s one pic in particular that I have in mind where the lambo, Porsche and my father-in-law’s supercharged mustang were all lined up. That was a fun one. But not as fun as the day he and I dragged down the street I’m not sure if you’re visiting Dad, but that was a hoot! The best part was that it took place right after church. I was in the lambo and he in the Porsche and we were stopped at a light. I have never laid down so much rubber in my life, and yet the car never got loose in the process. It just took off, stayed straight and put down close to 150 feet of black.

So, what would possess me to go from such an extreme to yet another extreme? My lifestyle basically changed. A few years back, I got a bit tired of the rock star life and I discovered Mountain Biking. I guess you can say it just took control of me. It was as if we were made for each other all along, but only just met. Now, keeping that in mind, try to imagine strapping a 24 lb bike to a really hot sports car. Nope. Doesn’t quite fit, does it? And I’ve never really been the type to trade between cars. I’m fairly monogamous in that respect. I’m a one car kind of guy. And I’ve tried this several times in the past. Each time meeting with the same dissatisfied result.

But when I found the Element, I wasn’t looking for it. In fact, I was looking for something entirely different to replace the Jeep I had. You could say that my initial impression of the Element was that it may have been one of the top two ugliest vehicles I’d ever seen. In fact, I can still recall congratulating the Honda dude for successfully hiring the lead designer of the Pontiac Aztec.

This guy was persistent, however. He kept insisting I just test drive it. And it didn’t matter if I looked at anything more upscale like the Pilot. He kept bringing me back to this vehicle. BTW, I call it my truck. Finally, I agreed to drive it just to shut him up so I could get on with getting the vehicle I actually went there for.

Have you ever made your mind up about something only to find yourself wondering what in the world you were thinking? Well there I was. From the moment I sat down, adjusted the seat and mirrors, etc. I was rapidly changing my mind. But when the door shut… I was hooked. I simply couldn’t get over, as I drove down the freeway, how I could still hear myself think. If you ever had the “joy” of riding in my Jeep, you’d know what I’m talking about. At work, we’d often joke about using it for all of our system vibration testing. Anyway, by the time we got back to the dealership, I wouldn’t leave without it. We were in love. The only problem was that there was actually a couple waiting to get into Finance to purchase this specific vehicle. And they were ahead of me.

Through a very strange set of circumstances, and perhaps 4 to 5 hours of patiently waiting, we were together. I’ve actually had some pretty nice offers to buy my Element from me, including multiple attempts from one Bay Area dealership. I guess they sort of like the way I’ve personalized it. I have a tendency to do that. I like for people to know from a distance that it’s me and not some poser. Just kidding about that last part. Who in the world would ever want to be me.

But my favorite upgrade of all cannot be seen, but experienced. The sound and entertainment system has a acheived a quality I’ve never been able to produce in any of my other vehicles. And I did this on perhaps half the investment. But the sound is incredible. I literally have an escape on the way to my planned escape. And when I return from a trip, my Element is the first to greet me and bring me back to my zone.

Despite all of this, the single best characteristic of my Element is its ability to take me WHEREVER I wish to go. Believe it or not, the thing does have 4wd. And it will go over and through anything. Those bumper and brush guard treatments aren’t for cosmetic reasons. Again, I’m not a poser. And when you fix enough broken lenses, you’d understand why they’re needed. I think the only thing I may be missing is a winch. I don’t have one. But then again, I haven’t found myself want to go too deep that I might need one. Then again…

Yes, it’s not that exotic as my previous rides. But it has truly allowed me to Fly to new heights. So, you do the math on what’s the better vehicle. For me, I’ll take my Element.

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