I go to a local car show every week because it’s large and full of interesting old iron.
This show has produced some great MSCC stories over the last six years thanks to a lot of committed owners.
I take a camera and notebook every time…except two weeks ago.
This was one of those moments when you can lose a night and go negative or turn it into a Walt Disney moment. I got to the show, took one picture and found out I didn’t have a memory card in the camera.
Typically, this isn’t a deal breaker at an out of town show because I pack extra everything but at this local show everything I need or forget is 10 minutes away.
That’s why I didn’t pack an extra memory card so, like the old Clash song said, “Should I stay or should I go?” The weather was ominous, the attendance was down so my decision was easy—I decided to leave the camera (no memory card and all) and the notebook back in the car.
This was actually a great decision because I could approach this show with a totally different philosophy. Jim and I both typically scope out a car show on a large scale before picking off some potential stories. It’s like being an advance scout on military reconnaissance without the chance of being shot or blown up.
There’s a simple logic to it because Jim and I are both pretty simple guys.
The other car show obligation is to occasionally track the other guy down and make sure there is no overlap on stories. Identical twins tend to gravitate toward the same stuff at a car show so you can end up with a mystified owner who thinks the same guy is asking the same questions. It’s a funny, but bizarre fact of life in twin world.
That wasn’t a problem last Thursday because I knew I wasn’t after a story so Jim had free reign with his choices. He picked a very cool Chevy two-door post that I would have picked too—no, it wasn’t telepathy.
Jim’s other choice caught his eye more than mine. It was a very cool ’56 Studebaker rattie and it was a magnet for show goers. There would have been no overlap on that one because I knew Jim locked in on the rattie before he even parked his car.
This night was a lot like the old days for me because I’ve been going to car shows for decades but the MSCC gig started in 2009. I liked the casual side of last Thursday because it was like a night off but I still got to hit a car show.
There were long conversations with car guys without the need for notes plus we got into side conversations about things like politics and football. I didn’t have to keep focusing on what was coming or going at the show or worry about angles and lighting on shots.
This was definitely a more casual night for me but I was still working because I came up with the perfect story for the night. What’s it like to hit a car show without a camera and a notebook?
Simple answer—just as much fun as it is with a camera and notebook.
This is a great job…
Jerry Sutherland
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