The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Yeah, About That Day Trip. . .

Posted on | September 18, 2010 | 7 Comments

by Smitty

I took the car in for an oil change Thursday. This 2002 PT Cruiser’s got 121k miles.
It’s a lovely day for a trip, just after noon, going West on I-64, almost to Lewisburg, chatting up me old college chum in Chicago, ‘Welcome to West Virginia’. . .wait, I’m slowing down, check engine, oil light, pop the clutch, no one around me, won’t re-start, sonofa. . .
Oil is fine. Bad gas in Woodstock, VA back on I-81? No, this engine isn’t even trying.
Call the insurance company, get a wrecker out of Lewisburg. Fortunately, that’s where I’m going.
Call the people I’m going to see. Yes, they can come fetch me in about 10 minutes.
Getting the parts and manhours on task for the repair, no’ so fast. Eating some vacation on Monday. Grrr.
Finally, I get to the destination, meet the subject of the treck. Worth every minute of stress. This 85 year old duffer is amazingly articulate and has a story with everything: heroism, travel, romance, art.
Oh, to have the journalistic chops of Stacy McCain and the visual auteurity of Ladd Ehlinger. I set up the camcorder and do a 1 minute clip just to show him what the gadget looks like. He has no interest in a chronological attack on matters; he already knows the story.
So I take notes, and will try to get an outline together.  The acme of skill will be to draw it out of him in some sensible manner that won’t destroy me trying to edit.  That his first three decades are the makings of righteous war flick don’t matter; he is a Sowell fan and wants to talk about American culture on the skids.
When your feet no longer touch bottom, it’s time to shut up and swim.

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Comments

7 Responses to “Yeah, About That Day Trip. . .”

  1. Robert Stacy McCain
    September 18th, 2010 @ 10:09 pm

    THE MACHINES ARE CONSPIRING AGAINST US!

    Them and the deer, of course.

  2. Pat
    September 19th, 2010 @ 2:08 am

    Sounds like it. Wow.

    I’m not leaving the house. Meteor might get me. 😯

  3. Bob Belvedere
    September 19th, 2010 @ 6:06 pm

    That’s what happens when you buy a car designed in Europe.

    I got a four letter word for you, my friend: JEEP.

    PS: Safe trip home.

  4. Virginia Right! News Hound for 9/22/2010 | Virginia Right!
    September 22nd, 2010 @ 6:14 am

    […] Yeah, About That Day Trip. . . […]