I love playing the Crabspirits game at the PnP too! I lived inland from LA for about 20 years, and there were 5 PnP yards within 30 minuets of my house. Moving near Asheville NC the nearest one is an hour away...I miss going to hunt for e30 parts and seeing Crabworthy vehicles.
I'll confess this one is above my poetic pay grade. I don't understand the ending. What clicked for Rob? That he should stay with his wife or leave his family in tatters?
If you put yourself in the heads of the characters, then your confusion kind of answers your own question. This is what people actually mean when they say “irreconcilable differences.” You can still love the person. Both of you probably do. You both probably want it to work. And if you’re married, you feel like you have to make it work. You’re supposed to sacrifice, to push through. You might even get lazy and think it will blow over. Relationships are work, and you forgot that part.
But eventually you realize you’re stuck in a paradox. Your partner isn’t getting what they need. You aren’t either. You start wondering, can you fix this? And if so, would it require being someone you're not? Pretending? Faking it?
You’ve been together so long, you’ve lost your sense of direction. You don’t know who you’re supposed to be anymore. You ask yourself if you’ve grown apart. You wonder what version of yourself they want, and whether it’s even someone you can still be.
You keep looking for answers. And you keep getting it wrong. Over and over. Each time, it costs you something. And resentment starts to grow. Quietly at first. Then louder. Until what’s left is just emotional burnout and numbness. A kind of apathy.
Then, sometimes, at the very end, both people finally say the things they should have said all along. Real, vulnerable communication. But by then, it’s hard to know what to do with it. Because even though it’s honest… it’s late.
Do you have a bunch of polaroids of the typical coin/collectible/card shop owner and customer base? Son of a bitch if you didn't describe them perfectly. I even recoiled in disgust at the smells as you described them. Now I'm grateful that my nephews "liberated" all my old Legos so I won't be condemned to that life. Excellent work!
I’m always drawn to the trash when I look for a subject. It’s a clear indication of: a mental disorder, depression, drugs, or overwhelming life problems. Sometimes more than one of those things. Once I find supporting evidence, the story starts writing itself. There’s no shortage of miserable people out there, especially in the end-user ownership of a car, so it’s hard not to get derivative at this point. I would much prefer stable heroes, but they tend to leave little evidence of their lives behind. Sometimes I get lucky.
Excellent work...this one really hit close to home! I had a 1993 VW Passat GLX VR6 5-speed, black on tan leather, every option available. Spent $600 on a set of smoked Hella dual round headlights, and found a used Borla exhaust.
Drove it all around the country applying and interviewing for my first job out of grad school. On 9/10/2001 got the call offering the job. Watched 9/11 happen on TV the next day. 9/12 I went to start that sweet sounding VR6 after a brief errand. Cranked over and over but wouldn't start. Seems I was just pumping fuel through a ruptured fuel line over the hot exhaust manifold.
I got out and watched the flames consume my car much like your story character. My heart broke seeing my sweet Hella headlights melt before my eyes. The kicker? I got a bad speeding ticket during my cross country driving and had dropped my collision coverage a month before.
Those who go to PnP with me usually don’t make it back to the parking lot without getting a first act synopsis.
I love playing the Crabspirits game at the PnP too! I lived inland from LA for about 20 years, and there were 5 PnP yards within 30 minuets of my house. Moving near Asheville NC the nearest one is an hour away...I miss going to hunt for e30 parts and seeing Crabworthy vehicles.
i saw the notification on my phone and clicked over ready to read and feel for people that dont exist yet whose circumstances appear too real
breddy gud story
Goddamn. Well done, indeed.
As always!
Wow. Just wow.
Excellent.
Goddamn that was riveting.
Why'd you have to bring Nathan and Claire into it?
--
just kidding ... you had me going with this ... well written !
I'll confess this one is above my poetic pay grade. I don't understand the ending. What clicked for Rob? That he should stay with his wife or leave his family in tatters?
If you put yourself in the heads of the characters, then your confusion kind of answers your own question. This is what people actually mean when they say “irreconcilable differences.” You can still love the person. Both of you probably do. You both probably want it to work. And if you’re married, you feel like you have to make it work. You’re supposed to sacrifice, to push through. You might even get lazy and think it will blow over. Relationships are work, and you forgot that part.
But eventually you realize you’re stuck in a paradox. Your partner isn’t getting what they need. You aren’t either. You start wondering, can you fix this? And if so, would it require being someone you're not? Pretending? Faking it?
You’ve been together so long, you’ve lost your sense of direction. You don’t know who you’re supposed to be anymore. You ask yourself if you’ve grown apart. You wonder what version of yourself they want, and whether it’s even someone you can still be.
You keep looking for answers. And you keep getting it wrong. Over and over. Each time, it costs you something. And resentment starts to grow. Quietly at first. Then louder. Until what’s left is just emotional burnout and numbness. A kind of apathy.
Then, sometimes, at the very end, both people finally say the things they should have said all along. Real, vulnerable communication. But by then, it’s hard to know what to do with it. Because even though it’s honest… it’s late.
Well said... I wrestle with this often!
Just finished Tales from the Loop. Now this. Coincidence? I think not.
Tales From The Loop is one of the finest and most interesting things I have ever watched.
Yes. It's been in my head for days.
I’ll have to check it out.
Do you have a bunch of polaroids of the typical coin/collectible/card shop owner and customer base? Son of a bitch if you didn't describe them perfectly. I even recoiled in disgust at the smells as you described them. Now I'm grateful that my nephews "liberated" all my old Legos so I won't be condemned to that life. Excellent work!
I know that recall. There is overflow during refuel.
Notable here are the, at least 3, recalls related to the fuel rail. One of them involves replacing the whole cylinder head.
Damn.
What a fantasticly human story, Crabsprits.
Currently counting my many blessings... thanks for reminding me!
Terrific, as always. A fire was the best thing that could happen to that car in that state. Yeesh.
I’m always drawn to the trash when I look for a subject. It’s a clear indication of: a mental disorder, depression, drugs, or overwhelming life problems. Sometimes more than one of those things. Once I find supporting evidence, the story starts writing itself. There’s no shortage of miserable people out there, especially in the end-user ownership of a car, so it’s hard not to get derivative at this point. I would much prefer stable heroes, but they tend to leave little evidence of their lives behind. Sometimes I get lucky.
Fabulous! Depressing as fuck and far too close to home for my liking, but very well written as usual.
Excellent work...this one really hit close to home! I had a 1993 VW Passat GLX VR6 5-speed, black on tan leather, every option available. Spent $600 on a set of smoked Hella dual round headlights, and found a used Borla exhaust.
Drove it all around the country applying and interviewing for my first job out of grad school. On 9/10/2001 got the call offering the job. Watched 9/11 happen on TV the next day. 9/12 I went to start that sweet sounding VR6 after a brief errand. Cranked over and over but wouldn't start. Seems I was just pumping fuel through a ruptured fuel line over the hot exhaust manifold.
I got out and watched the flames consume my car much like your story character. My heart broke seeing my sweet Hella headlights melt before my eyes. The kicker? I got a bad speeding ticket during my cross country driving and had dropped my collision coverage a month before.
Yeah, that was a very surreal time in my life.
Before: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hGUhZYWCT53N55o37
After: https://photos.app.goo.gl/WazECcSt7J8xkMPd9
Wowww. I’ll log that anecdote into my database. ;)
Feel free. My life got a lot better soon after that low point.
These always deserve far more comments than they receive. Expertly crafted and written with such relatable prose.