Thursday, January 20, 2011

What Color Is Your Car?




The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
Dorothy Parker

Next time you're sitting at a stop light, notice the cars around you. How many different colors do you see?

I know what I see. A sea of white, black, silver, gray, beige. An occasional red. Maybe a blue one here and there. Used to be black, white, brown, gray, and silver weren't even colors. The color wheel I remember had blue, yellow, red, green, purple, orange.

Are our cars a sign of how boring we've become? Sort of like how boring this post is?

Often when my husband and I are driving somewhere, he'll ask what I think of some car he sees on the road. I don't know why he does this, because cars really don't do a lot for me. (Air conditioning, heat, radio, starts--works for me. I can't tell the difference between a Cadillac and a Datsun. And a truck is a truck.)

I never display much enthusiasm in my reply, hoping he'll discuss something more interesting to me. Surely he knows what those things might be.

His next line? "What do you think of that new Z2000375A?"

"Coupe or sedan?" I reply, and in my mind bang my head against the dashboard.

So goes our exciting rides in the car. Sort of like when he's flipping channels between American Chopper, some war show on the history channel, and some obscure football game between Nimrod College and Shinola State. He'll make a comment and I'll look up from my book and nod my head. I think he truly believes I'm following the changing of the channels every 30 seconds. That I enjoy watching snippets of all those shows, too.

Okay, so I was talking about boring colors and boring posts.

I have six drafts of posts sitting in my Post queue. I have topics on minivans, children's play, my cat coming to the lake for the first time, night owls, creativity, jobs. Each of those has notes on it with a worthwhile list of ideas to make a fine essay. Do I have interest in writing any of them this week? No.

Perhaps it is a reflection of my personality at the moment. Perhaps it is the time of year and everything outside is brown, so I feel brown, too. Perhaps, perhaps.

I think I'll go get in my silver car and go to the grocery store. Nothing mundane and boring about that. I'll even, like normal, forget where I parked and search for my car in the sea of boring color in the lot.

Oh, wait. Sometimes there is a rainbow. The produce section. Surely I can find some real color there. I'm off!

39 comments:

  1. It's that time of year. Kind of drab. Unless, of course, you're in Florida, where everything is still very green. I hate to leave it, but I shall get in my little red car and hit the road, and hope to see some rainbows along the way.

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  2. My last two cars have been red and I'm pretty sure all my future cars will be, too. And like you, I don't notice cars. Unless they're red. Then they immediately catch my eye and I get curious about their make and model. I could see the exact same car, minutes later, in a different color and it won't even register. Go figure!

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  3. My car is maroon.
    Underneath all the road salt and road sand and road dirt that's dried on it, it is maroon.
    If it were white, gray, or beige, you wouldn't be able to tell that it's so dirty.

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  4. Haha! I can easily pick out my red car in a sea of silver and gray on parking lots. I never chose red ...it was chosen for me. When my husband brought home (on approval) a white Prius with fabric upholstery that he thought I would love, I said, "No way! You'll have spills on that in no time...the only car I want has to have leather upholstery."
    The red one with the gold trim (something the service department added that day for their own entertainment--sold to us without charge) in the showroom was the only one they had with leather upholstery.

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  5. Years ago I could recognize what most cars were...not any more! We have a maroon van and a beige escalade, which I call my car...my sons tell me it's more truck than car...looks like a car to me, but I guess I drive a truck!

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  6. It seems as though everything including cars changes colors with the fashion of the year. I hate that. And I am afraid my conversation with your husband would be even less dynamic.

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  7. My car is "Midnight Amethyst." I used to insist that it was a dark blue, but the truth is it has a purple cast.

    The first few years we were together, my hubby would say, in his New York accent, "Loogadishere." Translation: "Look at this here." I finally learned to scan the area for a classic old car, usually parked in a driveway. He describes it in detail, and I say, "Uh-huh."

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  8. I still mourn my lime green Aztek. I never had to think about where it was parked, it shone out at me. Current platinum vehicle is so nondescript that it was rear-ended whilst still wearing the dealer's plates. I agree, it's almost invisible.The guy who hit it was so upset that he had hurt a new car. Now, if he'd bumped my green machine;a car with personality; with which I felt I had a relationship; I would have cared much more.

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  9. You're so right, car colors have become so drab -- alto' at this time of year where I live (NY) they all look the same . . . the color of ice and crusted salt! For another look at how cars affect us check out my post:

    sightingsat60.blogspot.com/2011/01/would-you-call-it-autobation.html

    -- from a new follower to ur blog.

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  10. Love the quote! My prescription for your January malaise is to go buy whatever flowers are on sale for $4 at Randalls and savor them. They will not be silver, grey, charcoal, champagne or beige. And don't buy any white ones unless they knock your socks off!

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  11. Oh, how funny! My car is grey; my previous car was grey; we've had grey cars for a while. We must be stuck somewhere.

    I had a red Camaro in my twenties. It's still the raddiest car I ever drove.

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  12. You know, I said I wasn't a car person, too. Then last February my boring beige car died and I had to buy a new one. I have no idea why, but I googled red convertibles. And now? VROOM.

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  13. Oh goodness...it almsot seemed as though you were talking about my husband here...lol...he talks about cars like this and like you I could care less and desire the same things as you in a car...my husband does the same thing while watching tv and I swear to God he thinks I am following along...lol...I think it's the time of the year...we are waist high in snow and it's a -17 right now so no brown here just white every where...our car blends in with the snow and actually the snow in our yard is almost as high as our one car...I hope you found some color at the store or I could throw a snowball or two your way. :)

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  14. If you're tired of brown, I could loan you some white--we're due for another snowstorm tonight.
    "Air conditioning, heat, radio, starts" LOL! My sentiments exactly!

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  15. Yep! Silver car here too! Sigh! As for grocery stores...I love going to Whole Foods!! There produce section is a true work of art! Every fruit and vegetable known to man (and some unknown to me) displayed...beautifully! I just walk and drool over all the displays. They are amazing!!
    Guess I need to pay them a visit for the overall brown is getting to me too!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  16. I just found your blog in a roundabout way and look forward to following you on your journey. I, too, am at that stage in my life...of like age and waiting for the next page to turn. My friend likened my current phase to a field that has gone fallow for the season. I loved that she used fallow...there's such promise in the word.

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  17. Yes, it's the the mid-winter doldrums and I'm there, too. But brown is better than white, like most of the country. And my car is gold, actually a gold-ish taupe with leopard seat covers and floor mats! :)

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  18. I feel the same way; I'm sure it's the time of year. To me, January is the longest month of the year. In the Midwest, all the cars are the same color in the winter - the muddy color of dirty snow and sand and salt. ICK!

    The constant flipping of tv channels when we are trapped in the house because of winter - drives me nuts too.

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  19. I drive a beige 1999 Nisson Altima that's sitting in the driveway awaiting a new starter. As for my brain, it is apparently also beige and in park, as it can't seem to move forward from the idle position it's been stuck in during the two months I was without a computer. Like you, I have lots of ideas either in draft or sitting in my head, but can't seem to get them out the tips of my fingers. Glad to hear that someone else is having the same problem, and I do think that it's because of the time of year. (You know, they say that January has the distinction of having the most suicides of any other month of the year.)

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  20. I could say "at least he wants to engage you in conversation" but geesh.. it's cars.. and sports! I'd be the same. :) I don't even have a car. Now THAT's boring.

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  21. I surround myself with color. I chose a red car because it makes me perky and cheerful.

    We don't really converse when we're traveling as he's always listening to some ball game and I'm looking at the scenery around us.

    Spring is coming, sooner or later. I have noticed that the trees are barren, and sadly naked, but I know that won't last for long.

    Put on a colorful scarf and some music you can move to. Perhaps that will help. The dogz and I always enjoy that.

    Love,
    Joey

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  22. I'm the same. I'd take the fruit and vegetables aisle over cars any day.

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  23. A charcoal Prius. I love gray for cars. In fact, when I was calling different dealerships about used Priuses, when they'd asked what colors I'd accept I said "Dark gray or light gray." I do notice cars in general but more for things like body style or what I know about their fuel efficiency. Cars are the one thing in my life I DON'T want to be colorful. In everything else - from food to flowers to wall paint - I love rich colors.

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  24. I used to do red. Had a very tall Eurovan in that colour that I never misplaced in a parking lot. Now I'm charcoal by default.

    But as for your posts-in-waiting, I find that a collection of things to be done, that I can't be bothered to get to, creates a kind of mental logjam. Everything backs up behind them. Then I make myself finish one thing, and whoosh! - things get flowing again.

    You're a fine enough writer to make a post about car colours a good read.

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  25. I know just what you are saying. And I have almost 24 post ideas waiting for me and I don't want to finish a single one of them.

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  26. Sorry, I'm late and I drive a white truck :) Grocery and produce, YEEHAW! I have to do that next, I'll think of you as I eye the red tomatoes :)
    Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

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  27. You've somehow managed to portray exactly what this time of year feels like, without once mentioning winter (at least not that I noticed).

    I drive a blue Honda (sedan) - nothing much more boring than that. :-)

    The inner me drives a red Jeep Cherokee.

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  28. Definitely that drab, boring time of year. *yawn* I hate to admit I have a silver car, hubby has a black car and a black truck. How boring are we??!! I got silver on my last two vehicles because I decided to doesn't look dirty as fast as other colors do. Ha!

    Thanks for your encouraging words on my last post. I'm feeling pretty exhausted and poopy today, which luckily doesn't happen too often... took an Aleve and I hope it helps to perk me up!

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  29. My husband and I have the same (non) conversations. I feel the same way about cars, but he thinks a lot about them. I have a hard time even nodding my head.

    I bought a dark blue car and now I wish it was white. What does that say about us? We all want blah even when we have a little excitement. Our age?

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  30. My car is red. It looks like all red cars to me. Easy to lose, but pretty :).

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  31. Green. So green birds mistake me for a tree and I have to dodge them. Your mood matches mine. And for the record, I'd love to read your draft post on night owls, should you get up the energy to post it! Happy New Year :)

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  32. My car is blue. I have had it since last June. I thought that it would be a bit different, but since buying it I have noticed how many other blue cars there are in the car park at work. However, at the moment nearly every car on the road is a mucky brown courtesy of the weasther.

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  33. I know your husband has to be a love, but when you listed the things he likes to talk about, I had to think, "Gracious, but I'm glad I married someone who's not a whit interested in any of these." I would have no clue how to connect...

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  34. I was bored - until I read your post.
    Shinola State and Nimrod College - Thant's funny.

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  35. My husband chose the SUV that I drive, and it's right in there with the majority - gray.

    Okay, it's more of a blueish gray - my husband would make me clarify that.

    And yes, when I go to the grocery store, I have to press the key chain thingy to hear the beep, beep, beep to find the car in the sea of muted colors.

    Another thing I can relate to: Why does my husband recite every sports statistic he can think of to me? Like I care. lol

    Don't worry about all the posts stored up. When the inspiration comes, you'll be ready.

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  36. While we're riding around in our maroon SUV, my husband will also ask me about cars. Why do they do that?? I don't know from one to the next. Like you, it has to start. And have leather seats. And butt warmers.

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  37. We have very boring silver cars. A few years ago we branched out to beige. And once, when I was in my early 20s I bought a black car...crazy, I know ;)

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