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Haunted Good Memories of My Past

How can this vacant piece of property hold such memories?

By Dave WettlauferPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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Photo by Buffalutheran, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Today, I'm driving through this quaint little town 10 minutes outside the city limits. I never gave it a thought as to why I would come this way, other than it’s shorter to where I was going. It never even crossed my mind, “But it should have!”

As I’m driving past a vacant piece of property, faintly I could hear something calling me, then my eyes automatically turned to the left.

I should have known there were memories still lingering in this town.

Given the situation some thought, there’s not a time that goes by when in the area, I don't look over in that direction. It hauntingly takes me back many years ago to my earlier days. But only in a good way!

You see, the reminiscent story starts this way.

Our weekend pastime was doing a little gravel running, as we called it. “Do a little male bonding with your buddies.” Doing what young, stupid, and broke kids do.

On most sunny days we would drive out in the backcountry looking for anything interesting to buy, pick up or just be abandoned alongside the road.

Things like scrap steel that we could sell for extra cash, and abandoned tires that we could use for our cars or seeing how good we were at throwing bottles at mailboxes and road signs. Back then, there wasn't a lot of money floating around like there is today. We had to make do, and make things work.

It sounds like we were bad actors back then, but we weren't. It was a fun past-time that only cost a little gas money and paid for a few mailboxes and road signs "if we were caught."

Those days have come and gone, and life is a little more serious today. I know that most people in our society are wound way too tight.

But you can't take the fun memories out of the gray matter, and going by this empty lot brings it all back.

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One afternoon, my buddy and I were touring the back roads. We came across a rough-looking, beat-up 1953 Ford 2 door coach. It was sitting smack in the front yard of a house that somewhat matched the car's condition. My co-pilot buddy needed a Ford flathead V8 engine for his car project. So we stopped and asked the owner if he would be interested in selling just the motor.

“Sure, if you can get it out,” he said!

Well, that's the thing, "How are we going to get it out?"

Being young and stupid, we unbolted the engine from everything attached, wrapped a chain around the body, and flipped the car over on its roof.

A couple of five-foot-long pry bars helped to persuade the engine to roll out from under the hood.

The two of us rifled that old flathead engine into the trunk of our car, and away we went.

We spent the rest of the weekend putting our newfound prized engine in his hotrod. But, we couldn't understand it!

We had trouble getting that old flathead engine to go. I DON'T KNOW WHY!

Even when we finally got it started, it never did run right. Maybe it had something to do with the engine rolling over on its side with dirty oil still left in it. "Did that have anything to do with it?"

This is a long shot but was the engine pooched to start with? Who knows, that was a long time ago!

Many years have gone by since then, and I often travel by that house. It still looks the same as it did then, minus the 1953 Ford that had been sitting in the front yard. But only in my memory!

It is now just a “Haunting,” an empty piece of property that holds a story.

But, looking at the house, or looking at a vacant gravel-filled empty lot, it always takes me back to that special time period, "When we flipped that car over to get the engine out" and, without any tools!

I can laugh about that silly episode of my life today, but we never did find it funny then.

That’s how we young mechanics did things back in the day!

Today, we (professionals) do things a little differently. But then, as the saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of ingenuity," or is it … invention… Something like that!

Anyway, not realizing it at the time, it must have been a memorable moment that I would still remember it today. The funny thing is, at our last visit, my bud also remembered when we flipped that car over to get that engine out. Not recommended by professionals "only done through necessity."

They call it a "special bonding moment in time."

I don't often drive through this town anymore. When I do, I always look over to the left at this empty gravel-filled lot. I see the haunting image of where the old house and car once were and the good memories of my youth.

Does Anyone Want To Buy A Slightly Used Ford Flathead Engine? Ah, sorry. It went a long time ago.

But the Memories are still there.

If you found my article resourceful, interesting or just a fun story, please click that little heart button or even share on social media. And like always, any support is appreciated. Thank you for reading!

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About the Creator

Dave Wettlaufer

Canadian writer Classic Cars is my specialty. Versed in many subjects.so please CLICK this LINK to read more of my stories. To show appreciation, hit that heart ❤ button.

https://vocal.media/authors/dave-wettlaufer-hm1cgb0xtn

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Nice work

Very well written. Keep up the good work!

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