Since wandering off into Michiana Chronicles Retirement Land at the end of last year, a few things have occurred both in my life and in the world in general. Being in the “Me, Me, Me” mode though, I’ll just speak personally.
At the beginning of the year, I rounded into the 75-year-old mode. As my friend, Lois, said as she had her 70th birthday, “How the hell did this happen?” Same here and this seemed like a time to indulge, so I bought my first car.
Larry and I always have had one car, the last two, good and serviceable Prius, and they have met our needs very well. However, for some years, I have had a hankering for a Mini Cooper Clubman. The son of some dear friends, Mark, a very skilled mechanic, steered (ha, ha, ha!) me to German Concepts where they asked my requirements. Note, I didn’t say my “needs” because I’m the first to admit, there was no real need here, just good-old consumer desire. Through the magic of the internet, a Clubman was located that almost perfectly met my requirements and it arrived. “Folly” joined our household. (Yes, I name our cars.)
Cars that I have driven/owned in my past always have been selected by my mate, with a small bit of input from me. This car was 100% my choice. And, it fits me perfectly! I get in to go off and do my old-lady shopping or going to church on Sunday runs and I am so pleased. My Mini Cooper is not just transportation; it’s happiness. Of course it’s red, well grey with lots of red accents, and it has features which make me smile, especially the jumping fish on the screen when in the energy-saving mode.
Once, when out with friends, I was encouraging Linda to buy something because it was going to be a happy-making thing for her. I looked at her spouse, Joe, and asked him if men encourage other men in that way to purchase things. After a moment of thought, he said, “No, not really, except maybe cars.” Well, I guess that I have “manly-ed up,” because I now have become an encourager who likes having conversations about cars.
So, another thing that happened in the past six months, is that Larry had a Mathematics Conference is Oxford, England. Unaware of the wider history of Coopers, I noted with interest that there were quite a few there, but I just thought that that was because in general, people in European countries which are smaller, sensibly drive smaller cars. Not until I got into the Museum of Oxford, (What can I say? We’re a museum family; we go to them wherever we fetch up. Almost sure to be something in there that’s of interest.) only when I saw a display on Coopers did I realize that Oxford is their home. Long a fan of the Arts and Crafts William Morris, I discovered another William Morris: the one who was the bicycle-maker, turned car-maker who produced the forerunner of Minis right outside of Oxford. Thanks to Mathematics, I had bumbled into the birthplace of my car type!
In 2019, my friend Cass and I were in Mackinaw City and stumbled upon an event called “Minis on the Mack” where Cooper owners congregate in St. Ignace, Michigan. Over 1300 Minis drove over the Mackinac Bridge and back in convoy. It was such fun to view: had that vibe of tailgating—just festival-like. So, this year, in early August, Folly is going to have its first road trip: we’re going to be part of Minis on the Mack. The spirit of auto-camaraderie beckons. If it was fun to see, I’m anticipating that it will be even more fun to be a participant! Life in Michiana Chronicles retirement-land is good.
Music made with a Mini Cooper : r/independentmusic (reddit.com)
