An Ode to the Automobile

An+Ode+to+the+Automobile

Alexandre Demoly, Co-Editor

For years, the car has held a special place in my heart. It started when I was a toddler. When I was two, my parents would take me for a ride in the car to put me to sleep. The noise of the engine and the tires on the road was just the formula needed to give me some rest. This was just the beginning of an affection for cars that would soon blossom into a passion for them.

Fast-forward about 14 years. I turned 16 over the summer and I currently have a permit and hopefully will earn a license in a couple of weeks. What does the car mean to me now? Well, my perspective has changed. Now, the car isn’t a simple white noise generator for falling asleep at night; rather, it is an expression of freedom. Most people don’t know this about me, but I do like to let my hair down and get away from the boring monotony of everyday life. I love to speed. When the roads are icy, I relish going around turns far too quickly, just for the sake of sliding. I accelerate much harder than necessary, because why not? In short, I enjoy going out of my comfort zone and letting go of the boring person that I usually am. The car is the instrument that allows me to do so.

Much like our other technological accomplishments, cars complement the freedom that we all possess. Think about it: fire let us explore the wilderness around us, ships gave us the ability to travel across continents, and Concorde let us do so in just a couple of hours. How are cars any different? We can travel hundreds of miles without batting an eyelash, and nowadays, it’s done for us thanks to the rise of autonomous vehicles.

Overall, I feel that the car is the epitome of the human spirit. It took us many years to develop, yet now that we have it, we are already on a mission to improve upon it. Like the human race itself, the car is never stagnant and has instead been adapted for its environment. There are a number of ways to express your freedom. For me, it’s getting in the car each morning and feeling my heart skip a beat when I hear the engine turn over, but for you, it may be something entirely different. What you should take away from this is that we are not limited to our everyday lives, we are not defined by the doldrum of school or work. You can break the mold that you feel forced into and challenge people’s typical view of who you are. Today, go out and find whatever makes you happy, no matter what it is: there is nothing stopping you.