The Noble, Fading Athlete

Hello Everyone,

I originally wrote this piece on October 15, 2015. In the two years since, I'm happy to report that the 'Cherry Bomb' red Prius has performed marvelously and not suffered any sophomore jitters. Still, everyone once and awhile, I see a beautiful old Protégé on the streets and reminisce when it was king of the automobile world.

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It is a cruelty of life that we get old. It is especially hard on those who take great pleasure in physical endeavours. The mind can stay sharp for a long time, but the body fades. For the elite athlete, it is especially bitter. The will remains strong, but the body no longer responds. In the world of finely-tuned race cars, there is no more of an elite athlete than the 2002 Mazda Protege ES 2.0. Affectionately known as KITT, in reference to the talking car of the TV show Knight Rider, it represented a similar leap in technology. Age may rust that gorgeous body, but the engine runs ever strong. Literally in this case, the body of my car is rusting away from the engine. The usual process for selecting dibs on the preferred passenger spot in a car is to 'call shotgun'. That is, to ride in the front passenger seat, rather than being relegated to the kids' seats in the back. In the Protege, one now gets to 'call bombardier'. You see, there is a small matter of a hole in the floor of the car. It's not big, when you think of the total surface of the car, but you could drop a basketball through it. Don't worry though, I have some good Nova Scotia plywood in there to cover it up. Which brings up the next advantage of the Protege. Many luxury cars have hardwood paneling, but how many have hardwood flooring? Not many. But the time has come. I've slowly come around to the idea that I should replace my reliable steed. It's had a few tweaks, here and there, massaged out by the mechanic. (I did have to force payment into his hand, as he thought the privilege of working on such an engineering marvel was reward enough.) However, before something big happens, probably best to get something newer. The upstart rookie stepping into these huge shoes is the 2012 Prius C. So far, the kid's lived up to his billing, saving me money on gas and impressing with a tight turning radius. The second season's the killer though, so I'll make sure he doesn't get too big a head for its shoulders. (Or engine compartment, which is pretty small.) Though it's an inanimate object, I always thought KITT's end would be emotionally satisfying in some way, like if I had to wreck it in some unavoidable accident. Perhaps swerving out of the way of a child running into the street or driving into the getaway van of a bank robbery to prevent their escape. I'd get the insurance money, and KITT would go out in a blaze of glory. In fact, something similar is happening, only in a more mature, and some might say, more meaningful fashion. Rather than waiting for some shock crisis, KITT is volunteering to be donated to charity, specifically the Stephen Lewis Foundation. The high-grade steel and aluminum of its peerless construction will be recycled into new life and the proceeds of their sale will benefit people in need. Classy to the end. wes