Monday, August 15, 2011

Trapped in my neighborhood?

When I was a young child my dad took me to a demolition derby. It was one of those shows that has the Monster trucks and other side attractions. The big stunt for the night was supposed to be a car jumping over 15 semi trailers. I don't know whether there wasn't enough runway or if the 98 hp engine just wasn't powerful enough but the Ford Tempo barely cleared 7. I can still see the events as if they were in slow motion. The beige Tempo GLS did a series of cartwheels and flips before taking out a stage and becoming crushed in the ensuing rubble. Fortunately no one else was hurt. My dad tried to comfort me by telling me the driver was alright but I was old enough at that time to know otherwise. For a while after the crash I had nightmares where I was trapped in an "out of control" Tempo that was speeding for disaster. These gradually died off and I forgot all about the crash until recently. I just moved to a neighborhood which I later discovered is completely overrun with Tempos. Its not just the older folks holding onto their 20+ year old cars. Teenagers and working folks have them too. Some homes have up to 3 per driveway. There is no way in or out of my neighborhood without ping a Tempo. I can't go to the nearest grocery store because it always has Tempo's parked in the employee section. When I see a Tempo driving I get short of breath. I start to sweat and my hands shake. I can't help but think it is the ghost of the stunt driver endlessly trying to complete his jump. I have to pull over and let the Tempo get far out of sight before I can drive again. My wife says I'm being neurotic and has even threatened to buy a Tempo herself just to prove to me they are safe. At night I browse the internet for information and youtube clips on the Tempo in hopes that with a better understanding I'll find acceptance. I have memorized just about every fact for each year and model but am still terrified each time I see one. What can I do to come to terms with this fear? As I'm writing this from my living room I can hear the distinctive sound a Tempo driving one street over…

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