I have known my brother-in-law for approx. 47 years, we are close in age (he's a little younger) we are very close just like actual brothers
since moving to AZ. I usually see him twice a year once on our annual Wi. fishing trip and he usually comes out in March and stays with his sister and I for about 4 days when he comes he loves catching up with his nieces and my grand children.
He is going to take early retirement (about a year) he will be fine he has prepared well, he says with all the covid crap and all the changes to society and the work place etc... he just cant stand it any more.
I didn't tell him when I purchased the Olds I just figured he would see it when he came to visit, he's not a car guy but certainly can appreciate old things and nice vehicles, when he saw the Olds he said OMG !! he put his things away went in grabbed a beer and went back out to the garage for closer inspection. the next morning when I got up I couldn't find him !! he was out in the garage looking at the car again !! after he had his coffee and we had some breakfast I asked him if he wanted to drive it, I thought his jaw was going to un-hinge !!
"you'd let me drive it ? sure , we can take a little spin in the sub-division to get used to the steering and brakes and if your comfortable you can take her out on the street and we did just that, I was a little nervous but we returned to home base with no issues.
What was fun here was the whole time he was behind the wheel the smile never left his face !! I thought it was going to have to be surgically removed !!! he marveled at the length of the hood , the hood ornament, the size of the steering wheel, the amount of chrome on the dash and the fact that all the heater controls were clustered on the driver side near the steering wheel not in the center like todays cars, the no power steering forced him in to some wide turns but he was having fun. I thought I was going to have to pry him out.
Now being my car of course I was happy, but just seeing someone appreciate a old car that much made me very happy, he also marveled at the wide whites and the size of the trunk and the performance,
On the way to the airport he mentioned he was having a bad month and this visit and the car drive was just the break he needed !!!
He also loves jet fighters, I live not to far from Luke AFB so we went and sat at the end of the runway and watched jet fighters take off and land for a few hours, That is always fun. They train fighter pilots from around the world there.
So the therapy was good all around, just call me Dr. Solly !!!! nothing like a Olds to make ya fell good again !!

 

Great story.

 

 

I can definitely relate to your story, I had a similar drive with my nephew, therapy indeed. Not like the lie down on the sofa and tell me about your childhood therapy.

 

Very cool!

 

I need Oldsmobile therapy to help with my Oldsmobile anxiety.
I’m a worrier, ever since I got my car I lay in bed thinking what needs done and what could go wrong. Part of it is being recently retired from a maintenance position, spent my career on call, and thinking of what needs done for preventative maintenance. Finding it hard to relax.
But then I get behind the wheel, and like your bil find myself smiling. Good therapy, don’t know how people can own these cars and not drive them.

 

It does not have to be an Oldsmobile either. Car therapy is a real thing and prescribe it to anyone to cure the days woes.

 

This hobby can definitely be therapy oriented... Great story, especially from the aspect that both you and your bother in law benefited from that moment in time... A time, I'm sure, you will never forget...