A Ford Model T Touring Car in Edmonton’s first snowfall.
I came across this scene on my way to work this week. The driver was fueling up at a Petro Canada, all bundled up and looking cold. When he finished, he got back in and drove off. As I watched the antique drive away, a couple of thoughts came to mind.
The photo of an old Model T driving in the snow captures several beautiful tensions in our world today. A quaint but functional mode of transportation that will break down and get stuck in a typical Edmontonian snowstorm. On one hand, it illustrates that nostalgia can be beautiful, but nostalgia alone can’t adequately confront today’s real challenges. On the other hand, I can’t help but appreciate the Model-T’s bright, quiet defiance in the snow.
I feel the internal tension to create a story about the driver. It doesn’t take much effort to judge the fellow as a stubborn old man. I choose to build a generous story around the driver. Whether it’s true or false, I write the following narrative in my mind: He’s an antique car collector who received a special request to make someone’s day, and, in a stroke of bad luck, it snowed, but he persevered to make someone smile.
These are the tensions I see, but for now, I tip my hat to all of them.