By Dean Sprague

This time of the year always seems to be the busiest. There’s endless shopping, social events and obligations. If you could slow it down and make a list of the most important things in your life, what would you put at the top? Would it be your house, cars, stocks or other possessions, probably not? People, specifically family would probably be at the top of your list. Everything else is just stuff. When I have time to reflect I’ve discovered it’s the memories of the quality time spent with friends and family that became permanently imprinted. These memories inevitability are the most lasting and important. You may be thinking “this is all well and good but what does it have to do with a car club?” Actually, ever had a memory so vivid it is permanently tattooed itself to some corner of your mind? This kind of memory is usually triggered when you hear a particular song, go to a unique place, or see, sit, or ride in that special car- something from your past.

My family’s MGTD reminds me of my late Mother, Father and Sister. I have fond memories of sitting in the jump seat looking over my father and mother’s shoulder. My sister was up front on a pillow, which cushioned her from the emergency brake while sitting between my parents. We made several road trips in the MG but somehow this memory remains the most vivid. It was a cold rainy night and the heater was providing welcomed but limited warmth. The windscreen wipers were methodically moving slowly back and forth eliminating about half of the accumulating moisture. It was difficult to see the wet partially flooded roadway ahead. Dim incandescent Lucas headlights further aggravated this situation. We were moving along probably slightly under the permitted highway speed limit of 55 MPH headed toward the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel. I was about seven years old feeling very safe, warm and secure. I am confident my sister who was 11 months younger was feeling much the same way nestled snugly between my parents. We were going home to Maine from South Carolina for the holidays. This was a time before Interstates, cell phones, color TVs, computers and 70 mph speed limits. Life was slower then and in many ways more fulfilling. I don’t think the standards were necessarily lower but expectations certainly were. Even getting a soda and a Moon Pie with your dad on a Saturday morning or stopping along the road to picnic on crabmeat sandwiches prepared by your mother were rare delicacies that created very special memories.

Fast-forward to the next generation. Its now my turn to be the dad; we are traveling the “holiday road” on our way from Florida to the North Carolina Mountains for a camping trip. While not legal today, the children are in the back of my Toyota mini truck secured inside a topper sitting on a Photon bed strapped in with one very long seat belt. We were pulling a small Jayco pop-up camper. I was in grad school again and we were poor again for the second time. We camped, hiked, and tubed the rivers, made campfires, burned marsh mellows and anything else that was fun but inexpensive. I remember coming home with less than $5.00 in my pocket but my oldest son in particular still talks about that wonderful trip and all the fun we had. Now he has a lasting life memory.

Fast forward again, its today. My wife and I have long since retired. Now we want to purchase a camper so we can take our grandkids for trips just like that one. Unfortunately, the pop-up camper and homemade crabmeat sandwiches are not going to be part of this equation. “We” decided that a travel trailer big enough to raise a small family became the new minimum. I discovered that my new 2015 Ford F150 truck equipped with the most powerful engine offered and max towing will no longer be sufficient to move the proposed rolling estate. Now I am the proud owner of a new 2016 Ford F250 Super Duty diesel with all the tow and heavy duty hauling options possible. Will this be enough? We are on a camper acquisition quest so only time will tell but the direction is headed toward a fifth wheel, not too big I hope. It would be nice if I could back it into our driveway. No matter how this turns out I am sure we are acquiring a memory maker for family and friends that will serve for years to come.

Sometimes just spending time together experiencing the same things can create unforgettable lifelong memories. Real time together talking, sharing, listening and enjoying like experiences is what really matters. It seems today there is just too much interference and your life just gets filled with excessive white noise. Without the distractions of television, cell phones, I-pads and other “communication devices” we can create an opportunity for real communication. You remember actual personal face-to-face interaction.

Part of the magic of being trapped inside old British (or other) vehicles with no radio or at least one you can’t hear over the exhaust forces you to communicate or forced to sit in silence for hours. Communication usually wins. All the road trips taken over all the years with wife, sons, daughter and friends have culminated into a sea of memories so rich and vibrant they randomly stream back uncontrollably, especially during this time of year. In reflection, these reminiscences provide the

Catalyst needed for me to realize that my rewards significantly over shadow my regrets. I hope you feel the same way and know deep inside that we are not finished yet. Find time for your passions and the people you love. Find joy is life’s journey by building and sharing epic memories and experiences. My Dad always said “do everything you can, count your blessings, never harbor regrets and look for the best in everyone that’s how you will find the best in you”.

From my family to yours, Happy Holidays!