How driving old cars helps keep our relationships on the road

For most drivers, knowing the basics is enough.

Push the accelerator to go.
Apply the brakes to stop.
Turn the wheel to hit the neighbour’s cat.
I mean, to head toward your destination.

Drivers of modern, reliable cars rarely contemplate how the car works. The series of mechanical components connecting their hands to the tyres on the road, remain a mystery.

Car enthusiasts who choose to drive “classics” (a polite word for vehicles well past their prime) are different.

They embrace the old, the worn, the imperfect. They trade the ease of modern transport for the visceral experience of actually driving.

With hundreds of thousands of kilometres on the clock, imperfection is expected. Parts wear out requiring regular maintenance and repair. So the enthusiast learns to pay attention,
to the sound of the engine,
unusual smells,
the subtle changes in feel that indicate something requires attention.

It’s a kind of intimacy. A relationship built on presence.

Now imagine bringing that same mindful attention to your kids. Your partner. The earth. Yourself.

Things last longer when we notice the little shifts before they become big problems.

Mindful awareness keeps what matters most on the road.