YOU
NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE

You never forget your first
love. Thats what they say.
But it really is debatable. It may have been a
woman who said it. Women are more
intuitive, sensitive, and in many ways, more
intelligent than men, but they seem to get all
mushy and gushy about stuff like that.
They keep old love letter stashed away in boxes.
They talk to each other about how their
first made their heart beat faster,
butterflies somehow got into their stomachs, how
it was meant to be, and of the one that got away.
Personally,
and I think I speak for most men, it wasnt
like that at all. But thats only if
were talking about the first love of a
woman. Switch topics to airplanes or cars,
and most men will tell you all about their first
loves, and in great detail.
The
act of flying is of itself, something born of
love. Pilots dont keep old letters stashed
away, but well often keep the books.
From the Ground UP comes to mind.
Many of us still have our E6B flight
computers, our first headset, the Raybans, and an
old flight bag. When you talk about love,
the only exceptions to pilots who apply it to our
passion are the airline guys who would describe
love as the score of zero in a tennis match.
C-FUFU panel

Like
so many others, I learned to fly in a Cessna 150.
It was slow, didnt climb fast,
wouldnt carry much weight or go too far.
But then, it didnt matter. I
was flying. I was enjoying my first love.
My first car was a Volkswagen. A
1959 Beetle. It too was slow, didnt
accelerate fast or carry much weight. But
it didnt matter either, because I was
driving. That was another first love.
Years
passed, cars and airplanes came and went.
I drove and flew more powerful, faster machines,
logged many hours and miles. I worked as a
driver and as a pilot The love I felt
initially somehow faded, but you keep on doing it
because its turned into a career, or more
of a necessity.
We
eventually reach a point in life which has been
known to be described as a mid life crisis.
Thats when guys will go ahead and
buy something theyve overtly or otherwise,
craved and drooled over for years. The
Harley Davidson motorcycle, the sailboat, the
sports car. Some of us will go shopping
for an airplane. For me it was a natural
move to want back into a Cessna 150. Not
just because it was so familiar ... there was
more. It brought back memories of long
ago. That airplane represented freedom and
a giant step toward manhood. Learning to fly was
one of the most important and exhilarating things
Ive ever done. Back then and even
today, the ability to control an airplane and
soar above everything and everybody somehow
elevates the mind and spirit as nothing else
can. The little 150 unlocks that for me,
and therefore draws me back to enjoy the ride.
Its a great little plane, and
Ive owned or been partners in several.
Cars
are another source of expression for the
mid-lifers. For guys who express
themselves with four wheels on the ground, often
they will revert to something from the past.
And it could be back to their first love.
The 55 Chev. The 63
Pontiac. Maybe a 57 Ford. For me,
it was a 59 Volkswagen. Not brand
new, not fast, not even classy back then, it
didnt matter. It was wheels.
I was mobile in high school, and that meant a lot
to me and my friends. Times have changed
too for the modest little Bug. Today,
there are hundreds of fine examples of restored
VWs which sell for many times what they
were worth brand new back in the 60s
and early 70s. Most are owned
by fellows who, like me, have more than just a
casual attachment to them. They have
history, and even spirit. Carmakers today
are cashing in on that with retro
cars, vehicles that resemble those from the
past.
In
our society today, it seems important to own
items that represent more than just utility.
Were spending our cash on memories,
items that have the spirit of our youth woven in.
Airplanes and vehicles, having played such
a huge part in the shaping of our lives, will
always be in our future, particularly the ones
that were a part of our individual past.
Its really not the actual machines, rather
its what terrific things they did for us,
for our egos and our spirit, that
well always remember. Our first love
was the emotion, and is what well never
forget.
Back to
main page
|