Invisible?

I like cars, in fact I really like cars, or at least I used to, and in many ways I still do. Just a week ago I would have told you that nothing could spoil my love of cars, but I have learned in the last seven days that this isn’t the case. Trust me, I am more shocked than you by this revelation. I’ll tell you a little story about how I lost my unconditional love of the automobile.

I was settling down after morning zoomies with my friend duck, when the staff started talking about going along to a car show. Great! I thought, cars! I love a good car journey, so bring it on. If one car is great then I couldn’t even imagine what elation an entire show devoted to them could bring.

A quick nap later and we were off to the car. I jumped into my usual bed, though staff forgot Russ (I really have to introduce you all to my gang of toys, as they do play a big part in my life) so I had to make do with chewing upon my bed as the excitement built. Off to somewhere called Brodie Castle we headed, which to this dog brought thoughts of royal doggies and maybe I’d meet some Corgis and we could discuss padded knees together.

We park up and have to leave the car, always a sad time. I did my usual impersonation of a water balloon ensuring that I’m as difficult as possible to get out of the car, and off we walked into the car show, exciting. While the staff dealt with tickets and such human nonsense I set my nose to work and it did me proud. Before staff realised anything I’d found a Nice biscuit in the grass and munched half of it, nice indeed. Alas, just as I was returning to get the remaining part they clocked onto my bounty and prevented me eating the rest. Christmas really is going to be cheap for me this year.

Still, I thought that if there was one biscuit in the first few steps then there were going to be plenty more to come. It was as I was thinking this that it dawned on me that in maybe 5 minutes I had seen over 50 humans and not a single one of them had praised me on my good looks. This is unheard of, and not what a handsome pooch such as myself expects.

Into the show proper we head and there are cars, lots and lots of cars, hundreds of them. Some looked familiar, some looked even older than Junior Staff Member and he certainly isn’t a puppy. On we walked through all the cars, all the people, and for the first time in my life I felt invisible. No one saying how beautiful I am, no one even really looking at me, it hurt, it really hurt. Instead of looking at me they were looking at all the cars, taking photos of the cars, talking about the cars, paying no attention to me.

Enough was enough! I know what a crowd wants and I’ll provide them with what no human can resist. Ignoring the fact that I was in public I chucked myself on my back on the grass and did the squirmy-wormy for all I was worth. Back and forth I went, ignoring the harness digging into my back, giving my fans what they wanted. No one can resist an upside down dog wriggling around, or so I had believed. I looked up expecting hundreds of people to be over with phones videoing my exploits and bringing the internet down. Nothing, that’s what I saw, nothing.

It was then that I realised that my love of cars was over. Sure I’d be happy to be transported around in them and I have a lot of affection for my car, but cars as a species were dead to me. If they were going to step into my world and steal my adoring fans then they were no friends of mine.

As we walked passed the castle the sniffs improved. I heard staff refer to the sources as burger vans and had I not been on a lead then I would have been a very happy dog munching through whatever food they were cooking, it was glorious. That was followed by the one positive human interaction from the entire event. Junior Staff Member was carrying me as it was quite warm and my thick coat had me walking fairly sedately, when an adoring fan walked by and said “Hi Chapi”. She completely ignored staff, as you’d expect, and focused purely on me. For that one moment I felt normal and loved. As quickly as she appeared, she was gone, back into the mass of humans.

So, that is my tail tale of love and loss. How cars went from being second only to food, to being nothing to me. It was a tough day and not an experience that I want to repeat, but I am the Happy Chapi and I put a brave face on, smiling my way around the show and I did still get to enjoy the journey home again. Here are a few pictures from the day out. Thanks for reading along.