I turned the television on and opened up the streaming service Netflix. I scan through the trending movies and series, then past those recommended for me. I move the cursor to the right to view more selections. A couple of titles over is the series Grand Tour. It is a new series by the same original hosts of the BBC series Top Gear.
My son first introduced his father, sister, and me to the Top Gear series when he was in high school, over a winter break.
Top Gear“ is a car show that refused to be a car show. It was about three guys (Jeremy Clarkson, James, May, and Richard Hammond) having fun, doing crazy, stupid things with cars, and many other types of motored and non-motored vehicles, pushing everything to the extreme. It was very bizarre, funny, intense, stupid, brilliant, and pure entertainment (Top Gear A-Z, 2015).” Periodically there was racing, education, and reviews on cars, but mostly silliness spanning over 13 years (2002-2015) and 25 seasons.
My son loved cars, as I think most males do. He knew all about the latest models.
The series also published a magazine with the same name. For gifts, we would get him a yearly subscription. In his room is a basket full of the magazines. I never felt it was my place to throw them away. He outgrew the fun of reading them, but he kept them in his bedroom, as a decorative fixture or piece of furniture.
Our kitchen and dining room are connected as an open living space. We spend a lot of time in this area, so the room includes a television. One winter break we cleared the dining table, put out a 1,000 piece puzzle, and began a Top Gear binge-watching marathon. We have done other puzzles as a family, but this was one of the most concentrated duration of time together, completing one.
We all crowded on the bed to watch the show, laughing, and enjoying this shared connection.
After that, we long awaited for each new season. One of the last Top Gearseasons we watched was when he was home from college. He hooked his computer up to the television in our bedroom, and we all crowded on the bed to watch the show. I am not a car aficionado in the least, but this is irrelevant. What makes the show so enjoyable for me, are the relationships between the three hosts (my favorite being Hammond, as he reminds me of the teen idol Davy Jones) and the challenges they are required to take to test high-end cars or not so high end. We sat on the bed, laughing, and enjoying this shared connection. Looking back, I must have felt some connection to the British, as I owned a 2004 Land Rover Discovery when the kids were in middle school through high school. After trading it in, I always turn to look when a vintage model passes me by on the roadway.
We talked about taking a driving holiday through Europe together. We would rent a high-end car for three weeks and drive the iconic roadways. I distinctly remember watching an episode on Topic Gearas the three hosts raced on the Trollstigen, in Norway. I think that episode started the planning. My son found a villafor us to rent in Provence, in a hilltop village. I recently discovered the linkI had saved to my favorites on the internet.
My son moved out of the house by the time Netflix produced Grand Tour. When Grand Tour first was released in November 2016, he would come over, and we would watch it together. He is choosing to lay on the family room floor next to the dogs.
The magazines are still in the corner of his bedroom. I dust them like I do his other furniture and memorabilia.
My daughter said he always knew the best shows and introduced her to others that became her favorites: That 70’s Show, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Psychand Avatar the Last Airbender, to name a few. The latter maybe generational, as I do not recall this one.
The magazines are still in the corner of his bedroom. I dust them like I do his other furniture and memorabilia. I have kept his other toys and books from his childhood. I use to think he may want these things someday for his children. We never talked about why I kept his toys, and he never asked me. I now wonder if those were happy or sad memories for him. I never asked him for fear of the answer.
You can watch past episodes of Top Gearon BBC Two and Amazon and Grand Touron Netflix.
