The Lions’ Lair

By Tara Grieger

This week it”s all about your ride! That”s just what we need, a salute to the vehicles that make us feel bigger than life. It”s time to get back to basics with our trendy favorites: sports cars and sturdy trucks. There isn”t much that kids have to express themselves with, but a vehicle is defiantly one of them. Our cars are like an extension of our bed

rooms, from plastering stickers onto the windows, to the messed up upholstery. It”s true that that gorgeous hunk of metal on wheels is an extra place to keep any spare junk that we may have laying around. We sleep in it, finish up homework on the dashboard, eat, hang out, and even make a quick clothes change now and again. All of these things can be executed as skillfully behind a car”s tinted glass, as in the comfort of your own home, so why not?
Strange as it seems, teachers can this appreciate these strange activities. The car plays a major role in a student”s ability to prepare for, and get to, school. Unfortunately the car is often the leading cause of tardiness.
Come on — admit it. It”s happened to all of us; we”re driving to school and a great song starts to play over the radio, just as we”re pulling into a parking spot. For the next few moments we think about how simple it would be to just turn off the engine and go into class. But the song that is playing is your favorite, and it”s almost over. Just a few more seconds as the lyrics melt into a perfect chorus, all wrapped around a forceful bass. Yes, we have entered the small, misconstrued mind of a teenager on music. Suddenly, this song is the only thing that separates a good day from an insufferable one. Upon finally arriving in class, you find that you”re either right on time, or the teacher is asking for a note. Briefly musing over just how well you can copy your parent”s signature, (yes, you know it crossed your mind) you nevertheless, decide to quietly take a seat. But everything is going to be ok, because that song had enough attitude to carry the whole day on silver platter. While on this note, lets take a moment of reverence to honor those out there who put a lot into a good stereo system, then blast it for the world to hear. Yes, we yell at you to turn the junk off, but deep down inside, we know that your bass is the exciting pulse that we like to softly bob our heads to.
So if personalizing a car is what makes your day, why not spend a little extra time riding in it, or even showing it off. Whether your dad”s truck is just a camping rig, or the Porsche in the garage is his baby, we all inherited the same love for big boy toys. In fact, the parking lot can be thought of as a high school”s playground. So take care of the car, whether it”s the family”s minivan, or your personal treasure, because it has treated you well. The car: truly a kid”s best friend.