You might think that there are “car people,” and then there’s everybody else. Some people absolutely love cars. Usually, it’s an obsession that develops during childhood and then never really goes away. These car junkies eat, sleep, and breathe everything automotive, and spend almost all of their disposable income on cars and related items.
But what about everybody else? Some people claim not to care about their vehicles at all. They may say that it’s just something to get them from point A to point B. But rarely is this true. If it was, then we wouldn’t have a multi-billion dollar industry devoted to offering vehicles in thousands of makes, models, styles, colors, and options.
Cars are much more important to people than they might realize, here’s why:
- Freedom
We take our vehicles for granted because, without them, we’d be stuck in one place. Sure, there’s public transportation in most metropolitan areas that people can use, but even then, you’re at the whim of the routes and the schedule of the drivers.
Our cars allow us to get to places whenever we want, on our own terms. Whether it’s a weekend camping trip or a late-night drive-thru excursion, cars give us the freedom that all humans naturally crave.
- Time
According to a study done by the Harvard Health Watch, the average American spends 101 minutes per day driving, which is likely similar to other countries where people commute to work. With that much time spent in your vehicle, it becomes an important part of our lives. Think about it; we easily spend more time in our cars than we do visiting parents, friends, and for some people, seeing their kids.
- Pride
There’s something to be said for the pride of owning a vehicle. Even if it’s not new, expensive, or an amazing car by other people’s standards, it’s yours. You worked to earn it. Pride of ownership is a great feeling when you take a moment to appreciate it. It’s the reason why garages are built, and why there are car shows every weekend across the world.
- Expression
People often describe fashion as a mode of expression. But we express ourselves through our cars and trucks too. Businessmen and women drive luxury cars, blue-collar workers drive trucks, and young troublemakers buy older foreign sports cars and modify them to be loud and fast.
We all think of ourselves in a certain way and the vehicles we buy reflect that persona. And if you think that a neon-green hatchback is the best way to show people who you are, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
- Responsibility
Along with the pride of ownership comes the responsibility for taking care of and maintaining your vehicle, which is something lots of people actually enjoy. And this is by no means limited to extremely handy people.
We keep our cars clean, get oil changes as needed, and change the wipers, tires, and breaks every so often. And it always feels good getting back into a car knowing that you’re keeping it in great shape.
- Memories
Think back to getting your first car and all of the good (or bad) experiences that you went through with it. Or you can think back even farther, to driving somewhere special with your family or friends.
We make lots of memories in our vehicles, and they become part of our history whether we like it or not. And if you’d like a new vehicle to make memories in, make sure you give me a call, I’d love to help.
