You Really Wouldn't Understand...

"It's a Jeep thing. You wouldn't understand."

 

(Balls. Here we go…)

 

Hehehe you said bal… wait… Dammit! Stop that!

 

(*snicker*)

 

Grrrr. Anywhoos… Yes, it's true. When it comes to Jeeps, Wranglers in particular, there is just some things non-Jeepers will never understand. I wouldn't even call it a subculture at this point anymore.  There are so many of us out there that there are websites, online forums, clubs, events and even parks designated and designed solely and specifically for the Jeep enthusiast. It's a community, and, daresay, a family. Why do I bring this up, you ask?

 

(I… crap. Yeah, I actually was gonna ask this time.)

 

I bring this up because something cool happened Saturday night. Pulling into the parking lot in advance of  concert, I end up sliding into a spot right next to another top-down, ready to roll Wrangler. Instantly we had something to talk about, something in common. Of course, the fact that my next-door Jeep neighbors happened to be two attractive, outgoing and fun women certainly didn't detract from the encounter. That one of them would later steal my cowboy hat and snap off a selfie while wearing it? Bonus.

 

The point is, we all immediately became friendly. Talked about cruising with the tops down as much as we can just to feel the wind. We sat on the roll bars and watched the crowd, sipped some Fireball and had a great time forging new friendships for no other reason than because we just happened to park our Jeeps next to each other in a field on a warm summer day.

 

(Whoa, whoa, back the truck up for a second… Did you say "cowboy hat?" Were you at a country concert????)

 

Yes, yes I was. And hey! Have you not been reading all the country songs I've been posting lately?? Some fan you are.

 

(Touché, pussycat.)

 

That's ok, because it brings me to my next point – While yes, we Jeepers do share a commonality, we also share a common individuality that makes us all uniquely, similarly different.

 

(That made my head hurt.)

 

Oh stop. Here, let me explain – Jeepers have in common their love for the vehicle itself, as well as the freedom and carefree attitude it represents. It is what brings us all together. But Jeepers also share a fundamental individuality. We, though together in common interest, are an incredible cacophony of individuality. Every Jeep is different. Mine? Tube bumper, 32" inch tires with custom wheels, light bar most of the time, Renegade decals. My concert neighbor? Newer model, different features. Jeeps are often an extension of the driver, reflecting their own sense of individual expression. Some take theirs muddin'. Others have never taken theirs off pavement. Many customize, while others still revel in their stock original. Whatever the case may be, we are all different but all share an affinity for something greater than us. History. Adventure. Camaraderie. Or just, plain, good ol' fun.

 

I have actually created one of those e-cards that says "you may be saving the environment, but you will never has as much fun in your Prius as I will in my Jeep." I stand firmly behind that sentiment. You're never going to see a beautiful woman climb into a Prius and say "Let's put the top down and just drive somewhere!"  No. Just not gonna  happen. At best you might get "Percy, I need a nonfat latte. Let's go to Starbucks, but be sure to drive the speed limit so we make the best use of the fuel cells."

 

(Dude, I don't think all Prius people are like that…)

 

I know. Of course I'm generalizing. I have friends that drives Priuses [Priusi?] and I love them dearly. They still will never has as much fun in their gas sipper as I do in my 4x4. It's a fact. Like the fact Keanu Reeves is the worst mainstream actor ever. It's just something everyone knows.

 

(*smh*)

 

They're loud. They get sh*tty gas mileage. They ride roughly and aren't terribly comfortable. The tops are a pain in the ass to put up and down. And they are one hundred percent, Grade-A, unequivocally, indubitably, buckets full of awesomesauce poured over giant mounds of adventure ice cream with muddy chocolate swirls.

 

(That has got to be one of the most interesting comparisons I've ever seen. I really do marvel at how your mind works. Of course, it also makes me recoil in fear a lot of the time, but….)

 

I'll take that as a compliment. In any event… My Jeep takes me to my happy place on the water. It takes me to a rolling solitude where I can be alone with my thoughts. It takes me to my best friend's house where I park it in line with his and our other friends' Jeeps and our other friends/wives/significant others all make fun of us. We don't care. Because we are us, we are ourselves, we are one. It's something that, above and beyond the friendship we already shared, bonds us together just a little closer.

 

My jeep takes me places few can go, spiritually, physically, emotionally. It took me to the place where I was finally able to find me again. And most recently it took me to a field in western New York where I made two new friends. We may not necessarily become close or keep in touch very often, but friends we became nonetheless, leaving me with memories of sitting in the Jeep in the dark, staring up at the stars while singing Jason Aldean's Night Train, or waiting for the parking lot to clear out, leaning over the roll bar, laughing, and smiling. That wouldn't have happened in a Prius.

 

It's a Jeep thing. You wouldn't understand.

 

 

 

© 2014 J.J. Goodman. All rights reserved.