EOCAWKI: Driven by What I Drive

Speaking from the perspective of a 62-year-old male human being, I have come over the years to believe that many boys and young men fall into one of two categories during their formative years: they are car guys or they are girl guys.  This is not to say that car guys don't like girls or girl guys don't like cars.  Rather, my contention is that their primary attention is devoted to the study and pursuit of their central object of interest.  So, a girl guy is interested primarily in attracting girls and if a nice car is a means to that end, so much the better. A car guy lusts after great cars first, with the understanding that it could help him attract a girl.  In any case, I believe that these tendencies tend to level out and become virtually dormant when a man reaches his late teens or early twenties and real responsibilities begin to take hold.  But they tend to reawaken when he hits mid-life by which point many have married and settled down with a family.

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For car guys, this re-awakening is not a big issue. They simply look for another car, often with the patient forbearance of a supportive spouse.  For girl guys at this stage of life, however, the implications can be more disruptive as spousal support and forbearance are not as likely to be offered.

I have long been a car guy.  In junior high and high school, I would walk down to the car dealerships on Kings Highway in Brooklyn, press my nose up against the glass and get lost in that lovely sheet metal, dreaming of the day I would be behind the wheel on my own.  To this day, I like to drive and enjoy beautiful and interesting car designs. I still visit car dealerships just to browse. (I'm sure the sales staffs love to see me coming.) My wonderful wife Roni has put up with more than 30 cars during our 37 years together (see list below), a testament to her support and patience.

However, in all that time, I have never been able to develop more than a basic understanding of automobile mechanics.  I have a rudimentary idea of how internal combustion engines work, how the power is transferred to the drive wheels through the transmission, how brakes stop the car and all that.  But if it came to actually repairing something, I would be just as lost today as I was when I had my nose pressed against the dealership windows.  Considering this, it occurred to me that even if you are passionate about something, you might not ever be able to understand what makes it tick.
Come to think of it, girl guys might well be thinking the same thing.

Mattera Motor Vehicles*
1966 Volkswagen Beetle, green
1973 Volkswagen Beetle, light blue
1975 Datsun B210
1971 Dodge Van, red
1981 Plymouth Reliant Wagon, dark blue
1981 Subaru Wagon, blue
1975 Subaru Sedan, white 
1986 Plymouth Voyager Minivan, silver
1975 Volkswagen Beetle, tan
1989 Eagle Summit, blue
1992 Plymouth Grand Voyager, green
1991 Mazda Miata, blue
1995 Volkswagen Jetta, green
1979 MG Midget, red
1989 Subaru XT, silver
1998 Saturn SL, white
2000 Mazda MPV, green
2001 Saturn SL1, green
1993 Infiniti J30, green
1993 Saturn SL2, silver
2000 Volkswagen Cabrio, green
2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser, blue
1999 Isuzu Hombre, green
2003 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 Ltd
2007 Mazda5
2006 Ford Ranger
2006 Hyundai Accent
2010 Hyundai Sonata
1988 Jeep Comanche
2012 Fiat 500**
2013 Honda Fit
2007 Dodge Grand Caravan **
2016 VW Golf**
* In roughly the order they were purchased
** Currently in the fleet