| A few weeks ago, one of the managers at work asked me how my schedule was for the rest of the summer. He basically wanted to know if I could work more hours during the summer seeing as I don't have classes. I told him I was taking summer classes, which was a total lie of course, because I wanted to retain what little sanity I had after this past semester. This might be my last summer of me, so to speak, my last chance to enjoy myself before I have to grid it out at work year round. Tuesday I thought of going to the Peterson automotive museum, which I haven't gone in perhaps seven years or so. Maybe it was a little less, I can't remember. I had a late start and I wondered if I shouldn't have just shined the whole thing on and go Wednesday. It was 12:47 when I took the following picture of the Metro liner bus I take when I go on these day trips.  I didn't get to the Peterson until just after 2 o'clock. I figured I had plenty of time to check out the cars, and it turned out I did. They had a lot of Bugattis on display including the million-dollar Bugatti Veyron 16.4, a car not only famous for its incredible price tag but also for its performance. This car boasts a top speed of over 250 miles an hour and an engine capable of over 1000 horsepower. It goes zero to sixty miles an hour in 2.5 seconds. It's a SICK car, to say the least.  There was another great Bugatti, a 1939 type 57C.  If that wasn't enough how about a real life Hot Wheels car? On the second floor of the museum there was a collection of Hot Wheels cars come to life. The following is the Twin-Mill.  As cool as that was how about checking out the Batmobile from the TV series? Hmm? Well here it is.  Turns out the Batmobile was almost a real car. The car was originally a concept car in 1955. Ford turned it over to George Barris, who in 1966 modified it and turned it into the world famous Batmobile Adam West and Burt Ward drove around in on the campy 60's TV show. The following is a scale model of the original Ford Futura Dream car.  As I wrote the other day I had plans to go to Pie 'n Burger in Pasadena on Sunday, but I didn't get to go. But Tuesday I made a point to go down there. I walked down Lake Ave. in Pasadena thinking about a line from the movie "American Beauty" in which the main character says, "I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life." I strolled down the street taking pictures and thinking that same thought. About a week ago the movie "Lust for Life" arrived in the mail from Netflix. I've been wanting to see the movie for a while, but it wasn't out on DVD. If you don't know what the movie is about it's the story of Vincent Van Gogh, his tortured life and his tragic end. In between he created art of such incredible beauty that it can only be called transcendent. I related a lot to the story of an artist who finds himself later in life, is not appreciated, but then is found. I don't want to be discovered after I'm dead, like in the case of Van Gogh. Anyway, everywhere I go lately I've had brushes with Van Gogh. The day I went to the Norton Simon I saw several Van Goghs. I went to the Container Store after going to get something to eat and spotted the following book.  Yesterday while walking to Pie 'n Burger I spotted the same representation in a window.  There's a line at the start of the movie "Lust for Life" in which Van Gogh has just been refused a church to call his own. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a minister. Well, the committee in charge of such things doesn't think he's qualified enough. He begs one of the members of the committee, "Use me!" Van Gogh feels worthless by not having a purpose in life, so he reaches out to this man in order to help him find a purpose. That purpose wasn't to preach the word of God, but rather to celebrate creation itself. I think that's so much more important. Museums are my church, where I can go and see the meaning of life through the work of geniuses that have reached a higher plane. Who see the beauty in things as others walk by them, or trample over them. That's what I want from my work, as Whitman wrote, "To sing the body electric." To celebrate the beauty that is this life, and every single moment of my stupid little life.
End Communication. |
