Imagine your car being conveyed through the various cycles of the car wash, as you gaze through faded and weathered glass wondering, why am I finding this interesting?
Pseudo psychologist Hugo C. Shpritz* said it best: Hidden within our unconscious, we all are nagged by the realization that even the best shower can’t get us as clean as we’d like to be. So, as we watch our cars being washed, we project the experience upon ourselves: being coated in triple foam polish and swept by giant grape leaves, finished in hot carnauba wax, rinsed in pure municipal water, and blown dry in a way no hairstylist could ever match. The result of which leaves us thoroughly reborn and revitalized.
Shpritz goes on to to say, “The car wash embodies our insatiable appetite for renewal at every level. Who doesn't crave an under-body wash and interior detailing – even if we know intuitively that we’re getting hosed when we buy “the works” vs. “full service” or a “bonze” package? Throw in a bit of idol worship as you gaze upon the shiny object that triumphantly emerges at the other end of the tunnel, and you can see why this seemingly routine American experience can be so deeply profound.”
Or, put another way, how getting Shpritzed is yet another way to contemplate the meaning of life.
* Name changed to protect the identity of somebody who actually doesn’t exist.
IMAGE SOURCE: SHUTTERSTOCK