Old cars and older dudes…

I know I’ve posted quite a bit about my old muscle cars, but this week’s post isn’t really about that. Some of my students read this blog and a lot of questions have come up about those old cars. One day I mentioned a window crank and they had no idea what that was. That got me thinking about how much cars have changed, so I set out to see what else they may not know about those good ol’ cars.

Not a single student had heard of the window crank and I had to explain that back then, power windows were a luxury item and very few cars had them. The thought of actually having to “roll down a window” blew their minds.

From there, we talked about having to lock all the doors… individually. I asked them to imagine getting into the car and then having to reach across and open all the other doors for their friends. They were starting to realize how hard life was back then.

I then told them that we actually had to have a key to unlock the doors (as well as to open the trunk), and a separate key to start the car. They couldn’t believe how inconvenient that must have been. Also, there was no push-button start, you actually had to insert the key into the steering column and turn it.

Because I always include music in my writings, we started talking about what our sound systems were like back then. I shared that usually the first thing you did when you bought a new car was put a new stereo and speakers in it because the one from the factory sounded like you were listening to music from a tin can. Alpine brand was the standard back then, and a new 8-track was the way to go. Of course, they had no idea what an 8-track was, so I had to detail its function and demonstrate its size. It wasn’t until the 80s came around that cassettes were the rage, but man did it suck when the new stereo system ate one of those tapes. CDs were still far in the future.

They couldn’t imagine that we spent most of our time listening to local radio stations with DJs and couldn’t believe that I still vividly remembered the old call signs of KLEO and KEYN. They really couldn’t grasp the concept of having to turn a dial to find a station, and the fact that there was no LED display. How hard life must have been without Google Play, Pandora, Spotify!

Just for fun, I asked the kids if they knew what hubcaps were. One of the eight had an idea. The others couldn’t believe that the cars didn’t just come with the cool wheels they’ve seen in pictures. I told them the second thing you did, after the stereo, was to head down to the tire store for new rubber and wheels.

Wrapping up our little trip in history, I had them guess how much our cars cost. They thought they were being clever by confidently saying around $30,000. When I told them $6,000, I had to Google it to prove I was right. I’m guessing if they still made a Trans Am today, they’d be $85,000 plus.

Talking cost leads me into my tie to ALS. One great thing about all the advances we’ve made over these 50 years is how much more functional those suffering with Lou Gehrig can be and how much better the quality of life can be. Wheelchair vans offer safety and comfort, but can easily cost more than $100,000.

For many patients suffering from ALS, time is spent at home. Advanced stages leave one completely immobilized. Specialized chairs exist to make life easier for both the patient and caregivers. Unfortunately, the cost of these chairs starts at $40,000 and can creep to six figures very easily.

Eye gaze technology has evolved to allow even the most impaired to still communicate with the world. Many of those I correspond with on a weekly basis use this to write me, as well as communicate with their caregivers. This technology isn’t cheap, with the best devices going for $15,000.

I write all this first to say, thank you, for all those who supported us on the Les Turner ALS Walk for Life. In the end, we raised over $140,000 to support of those with ALS. I also write this just to make you aware that it can cost over a quarter of a million dollars a year to care for each person living with ALS, most of which is not covered by insurance or government assistance.

I started today having a little fun, followed by being serious for just a minute. To close out this week’s post, I just want to say how blessed I am to be able to write about all this, while still remaining almost fully functional since being diagnosed. Your thoughts and prayers continue to carry me through. Thank you.

As I bid adieu this week, I want share one of my favorite songs that ties it all together…

Find joy wherever you can, then share it.

Have a great week.

God bless.

Coach