Is that how it is for us blokes (and sheilas as well); man and the machine?
We spend a great deal of time thinking up these monsters and then we become so attached to them we can't let them go, even when they have well passed their use by date.
For some its hard to part with the smell of grease and burning coal. Its even harder to part with the memories.
I watched as he fondled and patted his pet, caressed its curves and stroked its steam laden pipes. He does it all day for no more reward than that of a promised return tomorrow. He and the machine will be no closer to completion at the end of the day. For 50 years he did this. Then he retired and his heart died until he could find her again and be close once more. This is truly a love story.
So many memories and I know that smell. The love of the steam train is shared by many. Maybe it was the romance of the period. Shovelling coal to keep her purring was not an easy job but we loved to watch, to smell the smoke, to hear the whistle. What will we do when there is no-one left with the knowledge to keep the affair alight?
ReplyDelete