Automotive Progress

I ain't about to reveal th' month an' year that I wuz born, But here's a clue, cars than sported an ooogah, ooogah horn! To start th' motor required enthusiastic spinnin' uv a crank! On th' rutted roads, its ride wuz comparable to that uv a tank! Cars had many levers an' pedals fer th' shiftin' uv th' gears. To git movin' required th' savvy uv a platoon uv engineers! No fancy radial tires er anti-lock brakes to bring it to a stop, Nor air bags er seat belts to ease th' pain if it landed on its top! Nowadays, cruisin' is cool with stereo music pleasin' to th' ear. Th' engine roared an' Ma nagged frum th' rear seat in yesteryear! Model-A Fords boasted a seat in th' rear called a rumble seat. Th' kids an' dogs delighted in ridin' there, considerin' it a treat! Pa found th' hand signals needed to stop an' turn very confusin'! Th' kids an' other drivers on th' road thought this most amusin'! Today's sedans provide a signal light to warn what ya' intend to do, Without hangin' an arm out th' winder, yer intent hard to construe! Mister Ford offered a choice uv colors as long as it wuz black. Today ya' kin opt th' colors uv th' rainbow, if'n ya' have th' jack! Cruisin' at seventy miles per in my sleek, air conditioned car, My thoughts drift back to when autos were really quite bizarre! Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired (© All Rights Reserved)