Cool Z moment . . .

FlashBazbo

A couple of days ago, I refueled my Z for the first time. As I pumped gas at the farthest pump from the kiosk, I noticed a father and son getting out of a car at the other end of the station. The kid was probably between 7 and 9 years of age. His dad had apparently told him to throw away trash from inside the car while he went inside to buy something.

The kid's eyes locked on the Z. He bypassed the trash can up next to their car. Walked the distance to the first island of gas pumps, paused, and bypassed that trash can. Eyes still locked on the Z. Then walked 3/4 of the way around to the other end of my car and deposited the trash in the can there. Finally, he took his eyes off the Z long enough to look up at me and say, "Nice car, mister."

If that's all it had been, it would have been silly to have gotten any kind of buzz out of a kid's compliment. But that compliment, "Nice car, mister" took me back forty years or so. The car was a bright orange, brand new Corvette. Convertible. Side pipe option. I was the kid who couldn't take his eyes off the car. I remember every curve of that car -- everything about how the light played off the curves as I walked around it and took it all in. And I was the kid looking up and saying, "Nice car, mister." Amazing flashback.

I'll never forget that orange Corvette. I never rode in it -- never touched it -- but it impacted me deep down in some mysterious way. If the Z hit the kid anywhere close to the same way, I have a feeling I just saw the next generation of sports car fanatics brought to life.

Cool moment.