It Takes A Town

We just saw Cars this evening at the Collins Road Theatre. Cars is one movie that you need to see. The animation and scenery is spectacular, the characters are well developed and the story is charming!

Growing up in Toledo, Iowa, I could identify with Radiator Springs. Lincoln Highway was completed in 1913 and was the first coast to coast highway, spanning 3389 miles. The highway passed through the neighboring town of Tama and was later renamed Highway 30. Highway 30 was rerouted through Toledo in the early 1950s, right past my grandfathers chicken hatchery. Ever the entrepreneur, my grandfather, Loren Rank, singlehandedly remodeled the hatchery into the L-Ranko Motel.

The L-Ranko Motel (a rather unusual name, I know), King Tower Cafe, Shady Acres Motel, and Stones Restaurant became popular establishments along Highway 30 during the 50's and 60's. When I-80 opened in the 60's, automobile traffic and business along Highway 30 was permanently altered. And today, plans are underway to reroute Highway 30 around Toledo, similar to what has been done around LeGrande and Marshalltown.

Narrow two lane roads, small owner-operated businesses, stop signs and traffic have given way to high-speed four lane highways, franchised businesses and rest stops. Don't get me wrong, I prefer traveling on interstate highways. They are faster and safer. But nothing can substitute for the charm, personality, and uniqueness of local highways.

Which brings me back to Cars. Lightning McQueen was transformed from a self-absorbed superstar to a person who learned to value relationships and community over individual accomplishment. An unexpected stay in Radiator Springs on Route 66 introduced him to a small community that impacted the course of his life.

Cars reminds us that living in the fast lane isn't what brings meaning to our lives. That there is more to life than individual accomplishment. That small and old can sometimes be better. That life is meant to be lived in community with others. And that it takes a town in order to win.