You've got a Fast Car

For some people cars are about image. Actually, the car you drive says something about you whether you are into cars or not. I don't really care about cars. Sure I appreciate the cuteness of a VW bug or a mini or the classic beauty of an old Mercedes or vintage whatever. I'd like to be able to afford a "green" car (being the greenest seems to be reserved for the wealthy or at least the steadily employed) but that is as far as my interest goes. Right now my Corolla says "practical, reliable, would rather spend money on shoes." I'm ok with that.

I take serious issue with people who get splashy, flashy, sporty cars and then drive 10 miles under the speed limit. There is nothing more annoying than driving behind a Porsche that can't seem to go the actual speed limit when that image requires you go at least 10 over. Now I'm not advocating recklessness, or perhaps I am, because that is what I expect when I see an expensive "sports" car.

There should be a driving test for anyone wanting to get a car with a "speedy, zippy" image. If you can't live up to it, you can't have it. These car makers should be really worried. Too many people are ruining their brand and I for one am sick of it. If you are driving a Cadillac or a Lincoln town car, I got ya, you're slow. You have money but you are SLOW. Fine. But don't you dare hold me up in your BMW speed racer going 30 in a 55. For shame.

Now everyone is allowed to exceed their car image. Driving a lusty 70 on the highway in your ancient pick up truck with a bunch of lawn equipment, hazzah. You surprise and delight me. Let us both pass the beautiful Viper sadly falling short of its potential.

It doesn't matter what you drive. It matters how lame you drive.

If you can't drive the image you can't buy the image. That is all I'm saying.

Now please be careful out there (and stop embarrassing us both).

Who are you calling shallow?

Got into an argument/discussion today about the importance of style. If you buy into the idea that some people "don't care about fashion and how they look" because they care more about other things, you are naive.

You are your own canvas. Your style is a reflection of what is going on inside you.

The thing is we are all selling something different and as a result we all advertise differently. Those folks care just as much. They are making decisions about their style based on the image they want to project just like their counterparts. They are saying "I'm an artist" or "I'm not shallow" or "I'm so not pretentious" or "I'm too busy to care about how I look." And everyone has a personality that backs up their advertising. To say that so and so "doesn't think about what they put on and doesn't care because they are so into such and such" is ridiculous. They must have thought something when they bought those clothes. I've said it before and I'll say it again: "Clothes don't just happen to you, you are an active participant."

On the same note, caring about how you look doesn't equal being shallow or materialistic. Those are personality traits not style. To assume such is buying in to a stereotype.

I watched a homeless woman pick through some clothes I left by my dumpster. She didn't just take everything. She chose what she wanted.

I'm not going to lie. I was a little hurt by some of the items she discarded.