The Mustang Couple

I was six years old when my parents moved my family from our property close to Elk Creek Lake to Underwood, Indiana. Although I went to school in Henryville, the closest grocery store to us was either the JayC Store or Walmart in Scottsburg. Each and every time my mom loaded my siblings and me in the car to go to Walmart, she would choose to take the backroads from our house into Scottsburg. Before cellphones and iPads ruled the world, we would pass the time during the short ride by looking out the windows and observing the world around us. This is how I came to notice the Mustang Couple.

About halfway into Scottsburg, there was a single-wide trailer with two cars parked in the driveway. One was a red Mustang GT with white stripes down the center and the other was a Silver Mustang GT with pink accents. I have always loved Mustangs, so I took notice of their house and its location on our route, always anticipating seeing one or both of their cars parked in their driveway next to their trailer.

As the years passed, I eventually got my license and was able to drive myself to the store. Often I would run errands for my mom, or take the backroads into Scottsburg to visit friends or stay the night with my grandma. As I passed their trailer, I never failed to briefly glance out my window to the left to make sure the Mustang Couple still lived there. I’ve never seen the people that owned these cars, but I just assumed that the red Mustang belonged to a man and the silver Mustang belonged to a woman. This process continued on into my late teenage years.

At this point in my life, I had begun to forsake the use of the backroads for the convenience and efficiency that Highway 31 provided. After a long period of time, I took the backroads and noticed something different; the silver Mustang was gone, replaced with a silver minivan.

“Oh, they must have had kids!” I gleefully thought to myself. Although I was saddened by the loss of the silver Mustang, it signified growth to me, and I was happy for the Mustang Couple and their family that I had never met. After this trip, it was a long period of time before I slowed down and took the backroads. The next time that I drove past, yet again, I noticed something different.

“Wow, their trailer is gone! They built a house!” I happily thought. The same minivan and red Mustang sat in the driveway, and I smiled to myself. As the years have continued to pass by, I rarely drive those old backroads. After twenty years, my parents moved from our family home, and I rarely have a reason to drive that way anymore. However, every time that I do, to this day I still check, ensuring that the Mustang Couple is still there.

Over the course of the past twenty years, I have never seen these people, not even once. Even so, I have silently encouraged them and been happy for them for most of my adult life. I have been invested in their life and their well-being. For the longest time, I thought this was simply because they will forever in my mind be known as “the Mustang Couple”. However, I think it goes deeper than that. Not only has the Mustang Couple been a core memory of my childhood and adolescence, but they have been a symbol of hope to me over the years.

I have watched their dreams become a reality from afar. I have watched their love and commitment to each other grow. I have watched them build (what I hope is) a beautiful life. Isn’t that what all of us want? To build something beautiful and meaningful with the people we love?

So, if you’re out there, Mustang Couple, just know that without being aware, you have inspired someone and given them hope when at times they thought none existed. Thank you for that.