I was enjoying one of these rides of solitude on my way home from Ohio. As I was driving past the vast expanse of farm lands, farm houses, barns, silos and other farm-like buildings, I did what I usually do and hummed “Footloose” in my head because every time I pass a farm community I think of that movie. After all, there’s gotta be a town nearby with a kid named “Ren” and some stodgy, strict minister keeping the town from dancing…right? Anyhow, I noticed a sign warning me that I would soon be approaching an area airport. I kept driving and continued to fantasize about Kevin Bacon teaching me how to dance on a football field. (No, I have no celebrity crush on Kevin Bacon...he’s just cool and that boy can dance!) Anyhow…I must have forgotten about the airport, because as I emerged from under an overpass I got a huge surprise...and was scared outta my mind!
The car shook and vibrated. The windows shuddered and a loud, thundering booming noise drowned out the sound of my radio. ZOOOOMMMM! A huge plane crossed directly over me apparently lining up with the runway off in the distance on my right. “HOLY CRAP!” I screamed (along with some other expletives, which I won’t repeat here) as I gripped the steering wheel and my heart skipped a beat (or ten). Movies don’t do it justice. Airplanes are frickin’ huge. And LOUD. Especially when flying directly over you as they come in for a landing. I felt like I could reach up and touch it. After I got over the initial shock of feeling like a plane was going to land on my car, I thought about the amazing engineering feat that an airplane is. I have no idea how much those things weigh, not to mention adding the extra cargo of people and luggage, but the fact that those machines can get up in the air, travel at such speeds and then come safely down is almost magical. (Yeah, yeah...I know it's all physics.) I thought about the fact that commercial airplanes didn’t exist when my Grandpa was born. The Wright brothers took their first flight in 1903. Look how far we’ve come in a relatively short time, especially considering how long our human history dates back. The Greeks were philosophizing in 300 BC (i.e. thousands of years ago) yet most of our major technological advances have taken place in the last 150 years or so. (See? I do some philosophical thinking on these long, lonely car rides. It's not just a hat rack.)
Then I noticed the vast expanse of train tracks whirling past my window and wondered about the old trains parked on the seemingly deserted tracks. I have no idea how long they've been there, or what their original purpose was…but I like to imagine the goods, livestock and hobos that were transported along those rails. Huh. The steam engine...another brilliant engineering feat.
As I let my mind wander back to small-town "Footloose" scenarios of high school proms, I suddenly saw the array of brake lights ahead.
Ahhhhh crap.
I thought to myself, "There’s either been an accident or there’s construction. So much for my peaceful traveling watching the rolling landscape and imagining Kevin Bacon dancing. Darn it! Now I’m going to be stuck in gridlock with about a hundred other cars and trucks, meandering along at a stop-go pace. Drat. I shoulda got off at that last exit ramp… "
I looked at all of the cars around me. First, there was a huge, black, custom Harley Davidson 4x4 truck. Behind it was a small convertible Pontiac Solstice, followed by a cranberry red Ford Mustang, which was next followed by a silvery-blue Ford Flex and finally a white Honda Prius. I’m not kidding. It was like they were all lined up in fuel-efficiency order so I could remember them! Ah…America. We are what we drive. Be it rough and outdoorsy, smooth and sporty, sleek and fast, suburban and economical or eco-friendly and green.
I slowly realized, as I thought about the plane that almost landed on my car, the deserted train tracks and the lineup of automobiles, that I am in awe of engineers.
They have given us our modern-day life. Without them, where would be? Sure, they can’t all be genius inventors, but wow. I can make the world look pretty but they can really make the world move. They work every day improving our travel efficiency… making our planes faster and our cars safer. Without them, I would be walking along side a horse (cuz I wouldn’t be riding one). Even the horse-drawn carriage wouldn’t have existed without some great engineering mind to come up with it.
With all of the struggles the Motor City has gone through since 2001 (especially those employed by or outsourced through the Big Three) I think a little thank you is in order. Most of my family has worked in the automotive industry, as well as many of my friends, and I think they get a little run-down and feel a little under-appreciated at times. While I know you can’t all create the newest mode of transportation, or come up with the most fuel efficient engine, I know you all have a part in creating some of the most amazing machines on the road or in the sky. So this blog is dedicated to all of you engineers out there. Thank you for working as hard as you do. Remember: you are an important cog in the wheel of production. I can paint the car pretty, but you guys make it run. And without you, I’d be shoveling manure.
There’s no big reveal today, (unless my Footloose fantasies count as some good gossip) other than my thanks to all the engineers out there and to tell you to hang in there if you’ve had a rough time of it. Appreciate them. The next time you're on a long car ride or stuck in traffic, take a moment to appreciate something amazing that's right outside your window. The world keeps moving, even when you're stuck in gridlock.