COFFEE TALK for Friday March 11, 2022

DO YOU EVER WONDER WHY?  

I wonder why about most everything that has happened in my life.  I think it's the wondering that provides me peace in knowing that only in hindsight that have I come to appreciate the good (and not so good) memories that have shaped me as a person. 

When each new day unfolds, another piece of life's puzzle is revealed...well sometimes anyway.  I have no idea why certain thoughts or memories pop in to my head, but they just do.  Each morning while going to the kitchen, I have to pass by my Car Room to get there.  Have to you may ask, and the answer is yes, I "have to" because I can't get to the kitchen in my house without going past that room.  So I "have to"! 

This morning while glancing at my model cars, my Danbury Mint '55 Oldsmobile's caught my eye, and that started the wondering to begin, because my Dad had a '55 Oldsmobile.  The key word is "had" and that is where my story begins for today. 

It the year 1958 and I was 7 years old, loving cars as did (and still do of course), our family car was a 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 2-door sedan...I loved that car.  So I was confused one day when a Tow Truck pulled up in front of our house, and started hitching that '55 to the back of the truck.  I'll admit I was in awe of the process going on, as I think it was the first time I'd ever seen a Tow Truck and for sure the first time seeing it do its thing.  But I was so confused.  Later after the car had been taken away, I was told that my Dad couldn't pay for it, so it had to go back to the bank.  Now that was certainly something I didn't understand.  When a kid is 7 years old, there a tons of "Why's" we ask about every day, and even if we get an answer, we don't always understand it. 

I learned later in life that the car was repossessed, because he hadn't made the payments.  But what followed was even more confusing, not only was our car gone, but so was my Dad.  He and my mother had separated and the car was one of the casualties during that time.  My Dad replaced it with a big old Gray clunker (that's what I called it), '50 Buick that was odd shaped to my eyes.  It had a sloped down roof and didn't appear to have a trunk.  I remember not liking that car!   

I don't recall how long my parents were separated, but they did get back together and my Dad took a second job at Osterburg Oldsmobile in South St. Paul, about two miles from where we lived.  I wasn't sure, even at my young age that their getting back together was a good thing, because they continued to argue all the time.  But what was good, I thought anyway, is that while working at Osterburg, my Dad got rid of that big old Gray clunker and he came home with a 1954 Oldsmobile 88 2-door sedan.  I put no relevance to that car being a year older than the '55 that had been repossessed, only that the '54 looked very similar to it. 

Later in 1958 my mother traded the '54 to buy a brand new 1958 Oldsmobile Super 88 4-door hardtop.  WOW!  Now that was a cool car!  Alas though, not all was right on the horizon.  You'll note that I said, "my mother traded the '54", I soon learned that was only partially true.  What she had done was signed my Dad's name for the new '58.  A few days later, the police came and took my Dad away to jail.  Again, I had a "Why?" on my mind. 

Well according to the dealership, my mother hadn't informed them that the car had a loan on it, and since she had signed my Dad's name at the dealership, he was arrested for selling mortgaged property.  Well, long story short (LOL, I know too late for that), my parents separated again, the '58 was taken back by the dealership, and this time the separation ended in divorce. 

Life after that, is a story...a long one, for another time.  On second thought, I may not go there at all.  But from this trip back in time this morning while sipping my coffee (I'm on my third cup), I've reflected on some bad memories and some good ones.  Yup, the good ones would be those OLDSMOBILE'S, three of my favorites!  So, what are some of your favorite Oldsmobile's?  

Have a nice weekend everyone, see you Monday with another Coffee Talk.