Recently I was listening to my father-in-law talk about his Daddy who grew up in a small rural town in the south.
“Things were different back then,” he said.
With five brothers and one sister, there was always some kind of drama. He’d put up with a lot and let the kids work things out between themselves. However, if they crossed that line, he stepped in and you better believe everyone listened.
“Daddy’s word was law.”
The last thing anyone wanted to hear was, “Meet me out in the woodshed after supper.”
As I was listening, I couldn’t help but smile and think about how many times we hear a similar phrase in racing.
Doesn’t this sound familiar?
“Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski have just been invited to the NASCAR hauler for a talk after the race.”
And then there’s my Uncle Glenn who happens to be a big racing fan. He knows something about everything and loves the sound of his own voice. Every once in a while when he’s going on and on about what’s wrong with Dale Earnhardt Jr, my eyes glaze over and I could swear I’m listening to Jimmy
Spencer.
Too bad people don’t come with a mute button.
And is it just me or do you laugh every time you hear that Scott Speed will probably lose his ride with Richard Petty Motorsports because of performance problems? It’s not that I want to see anyone lose their job but because I can’t help but think of my cousin Sarah who just divorced her husband for the same reason.
I could go on to tell you about my nephew Mike who has a knack for putting his foot in his mouth and how he bears a striking resemblance to Denny Hamlin. But you get the idea.
Admit it. Don’t you have an Uncle Glenn or a cousin Mike in your family?
NASCAR may be just another dysfunctional family but it’s not so different from yours or mine.
Just do like I do. Embrace the quirks and enjoy the ride. You won’t be disappointed.
*Names changed to protect the dysfunctional.
