My Obsession

About a year ago, while we set about packing to move from our temporary school to the new building, I invited my students to bring their favorite movies to watch in the afternoons. They enjoyed their movies while I stuffed math manipulatives and science kits and paperback books into big yellow plastic crates. Most days, I just checked to make sure the movie was rated "G" and popped that baby in the player without paying much attention to the movie itself.

One day, one of my quietest, toughest boys brought his favorite DVD to share. I checked the rating, popped it in, and commenced to packing art supplies. But only for a second or two. The movie was Cars. And from the first "Speed. I am speed," to the outtakes, I was enthralled. Nary a paintbrush was packed that afternoon.

I've always been a car fan. From my earliest memory, I've been surrounded by cars. My granddaddy was a body man, and my dad refurbished cars for fun. My first car was a 1980 Ford Mustang that he spiffed up and tuned up. Then, I proceeded to date a long line of car guys--several car aficionados and even one honest-to-goodness race car driver. My mom never liked my yen for car guys, and I suspect it's because my dad was one. But she couldn't deny that it was in my blood. Even my dad's mother--my Granny--had been a car lover.

(Of course, it would only stand to reason that I would go on to marry a man who cares absolutely nothing about cars aside from their ability to transport him from one place to another. My mom loves him to pieces.)

So when I heard Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, I couldn't wait to share the experience with Al. On my way to pick him up from daycare, I stopped and bought my our very own copy.

Al was barely 16 months old at the time, but he loved Cars, too. In fact, he became obsessed with the movie. He would watch "May-mer" (Mater) for hours upon hours unless I coerced him to do other things, like play outside. All summer long, I heard requests and pleas and demands for "Cars!", and I'm frankly surprised that the disk was not worn out completely by July. For the last year, even through his "Wiggles" stage, Al has remained a loyal Cars devotee.

For Christmas, Al received several Cars die-cast characters, and since then, we've added a few more to the collection. The obsession now, though, is all mine. I have developed an unnatural love for our die-cast Cars characters. I'm on a mission to obtain every single one of them, and I cannot walk through a Target or Toys-r-us without checking out their Cars section.

I think part of my love for all things Cars is an attempt to hold on to Al's babyhood. I know that one day, long after he has cast away his toy cars in favor of real cars and little hussies and beer, these silly little die-cast cars will be my tangible reminder of a little boy who loved May-mer.

Thanks to Marilyn for the inspiration for this one.