The Lore: The Stories We Tell

Ever ask yourself why so many boys play with toy cars?

I’m going to graze the edge of the Twilight Zone here and do a “vanity post” that may bore some people, but if I’ve piqued your interest with that heading, read on…

Guys like numbers. Guys like thrills. Guys like power. Guys like to show off, both to impress the ladies and also other guys. For all these reasons, guys like cars!

Now of course I know this statement doesn’t apply to every human being on the planet with outdoor plumbing; I know there are some squares out there who don’t get it. But we all know that even the average dude who doesn’t think of himself as a gearhead can’t help but get a little turned on by the sound, shine, and speed of a high performance car when it fires up and makes an appearance on either road or track. Everyone has different tastes-some are into Lamborghinis, some are into nitro burning rail dragsters, some like open-wheel F1 racing, and those of us with good taste are into street cars with muscle and chrome; but regardless, although we may not all be true gearheads, it’s uncommon to find a man who’s completely disinterested in cars.

So, if you’re a man, chances are good you were once a boy, amirite? And if you’re reading this blog, chances are that, when you were a boy, you had at least a few toy cars. Now, maybe you were the type that was more interested in video games or skateboarding or sports, but I don’t think there are too many males-especially of my generation-who grew up without at least a handful of Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars. And maybe you’re a freak like me, who had a hundred of them before your age even hit double-digits!

Now me, I’m also a storyteller: always have been. I love spinning yarns and telling tall tales and imagining “what-if” scenarios. Sometimes that kind of thing leads to neurosis, but more often it leads to creativity. When imagination and creativity are allowed to flourish, the result is often brilliance, but even in the many cases where it leads nowhere, it’s still a lot of fun. Maybe you’ve never thought about it, but that’s the whole purpose of toys: to serve as both inspiration for, and extensions of, imagination. My fascination with cars began in infancy, and the toys were a way for me to imagine what it would be like when I was old enough to own and drive a real one. This is the reason why a lot of young boys like toy cars.

In our declining years, we can watch this process occur almost as if in reverse: having hopefully experienced at least some of the things we imagined as children, we long for the days of the anticipation and the wonder of those early years, and we call this nostalgia. This is why there is such a hot market throughout the world for vintage toys. It’s the imagination, the dreaming, the stories we tell, that made playing with those toys so fun when we were kids…and I’ve found that its just as fun as an adult. Of course my little HO scale electric model of a ’67 Chevelle isn’t powered by a 396 Rat with a high-rise aluminum intake and a Holley double-pumper and rowed by a Hurst close ratio 4-speed because, obviously, its not real; but then again, it is…if I say it is!

So, pick up that plastic sword and go slay a dragon, or build a fort of Legos or Lincoln Logs and lay siege to it, or get out your case of Hot Wheels or Thunderjets and set up your track on the living room floor and race a tournament, giving all the cars and their mythical drivers names; there’s no one there to say you nay; no nagging boss, no deadlines, and only the rules you make up to fence you in. It is whatever you say it is; it’s the “lore” you create that makes your story unfold the way you want it. Sure it’s just playing…and bloody hell, what could possibly more fun than that?! Playing is a big part of what life is about!

Before it leads here…

…it starts here!