A genuine bear hug would be a nasty experience on its best day because bears are incredibly powerful predators and would leave a mark if they decided to hug their potential food sources.
In fact, a bear’s hug would be a bone crushing misadventure initiated by its prey’s attempt to unsuccessfully flee the attack and escape death at the hands of a large furry assassin with a generous array of teeth and claws.
Bears are willing to chase their dinner entrée and will latch onto their menu choice in an unloving embrace once they catch the object of their attention. Just ask any spawning salmon when they get grabbed by a large and hungry Alaskan grizzly bear.
Jim Sutherland
However, a bear hug is a term of endearment for most humans, mainly because of its association with an enthusiastically affectionate greeting for another human being. A bear hug may be an over-the-top form of affection in human world, but it beats the living daylights out of a real bear’s greeting for its prey.
We at MyStarCollectorCar decided to compile a list of worthy bear hug recipients at car shows because there are many car show participants who richly deserve a non-violent bear hug for their efforts. The warm and fuzzy Jethro Bodine-style bear hugs-not the violent “dinner is ready” real bear hugs.
The first bear hug recipients on MyStarCollectorCar’s list would be the vintage vehicle owners because their rides are the heart and soul of a car show. The math behind a car show is simple: 0 entries x 1 car show = 0% chance of success.
Additionally, the number of entries in a car show is directly proportional to the number of bear hugs that need to be applied to their owners. The vintage vehicles’ owners have provided the stars in the show and are worthy of a bear hug. Either that or a handshake or pat on the back, depending upon their comfort levels in social situations.
The second bear hug situation arises when one meets the person or people behind the decision to hold the car show in a picturesque location such as Main Street, Lakeshore Drive, or any place that offers greenery and shrubbery as a backdrop.
Location is as important to a successful car show as it is to realtors, so bear hugs all around for anyone who was involved in a wise decision to host a show where cool cars get an even cooler backdrop.
The third bear hug situation arises when an adult brings younger generations to a car show. The future of car shows depends upon buy-in from a new generation of car guys and girls who will be heavily influenced by their experiences as kids at a car show. The adults who were smart enough to bring kids to a show deserve a bear hug of thanks for their efforts to preserve the car hobby into the future.
Which brings MyStarCollectorCar to our fourth bear hug-worthy situation: courtesy and respect for other peoples’ property. The vintage vehicles in every show are somebody’s pride and joy, they are not playgrounds for kids, nor are they objects of ridicule.
Any car show attendee who is aware of these basic concepts and then practices them at a car show is worthy of a human bear hug. Conversely, anyone who lets their brats crawl all over (or mock) somebody’s prized rig richly deserves the warm embrace of a hungry Alaskan Peninsula brown bear.
Our fifth and final bear hug goes to the thankless volunteers who donate their time to ensure their show is a success. The job is not an easy one and requires enormous levels of energy to cope with the rigors of a car show because it is a long day for volunteers, not to mention the pre-show meetings to develop the framework for a successful event. Hug a volunteer.
Car shows provide a solid opportunity for non-violent human bear hugs because they are friendly events and are a far cry from the carnivorous kind found in nature when bears meet their meals.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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