Jeremy Helton 1932 Ford Roadster
Day two…of the NSRA Street Rod Nationals Louisville Ky for our second Shelby’s Hot Rod Roundup Pick.Friday arrived at the fairgrounds early we had a little rain the night before and into this morning. I enjoy this week in August it’s mine and Pams vacation time we arrive on Tuesday and don’t leave til Sunday,it’s all over before ya know it and for us it’s a little sad we enjoy time spent with friends making new ones…I guess you could say this is our extended family.We live just up the road from here in Lexington not far about 76 miles,lots of Hot Rodders here in Kentucky so coming out to such a large event like the Nationals one of my fears doing the Shelby’s Hot Rod Roundup would be picking a local car…not that it’s a bad choice just hoping to spread our message of Suicide Awareness out to other states.But we all know that were not in control of our thoughts and decisions as a Christian I pray each morning before leaving the hotel for the Holy Spirit to come into my heart an help with this Roundup choice.Like I said earlier it was early not many cars on the grounds and some folks just have a thing about there cars getting wet………now before you say anything I said some folks,never did I think especially after the day one pick taking me till much later in the day that I would receive such a prompting so early,I think that’s exactly why I was called out so early this morning so I could see much easier without confusion this beautiful Black 32 Ford Roadster Jeremy was wiping the car down after a little down pour when I approached him asking is this your little Roadster?Jeremy is a little feller can’t be know more than 102lbs soaking wet,but super nice and inviting of course I introduced myself what I was here for this weekend and shared the story of Shelby’s loss to our family and how his 32 Roadster and himself fit into all that.After presenting Jeremy with our V8 Roundup award and asking for sometime of fellowship he immediately took the award and placed it on his front tire pretty Kool…Jeremy is no stranger to building his own cars since he has been 16 never has he owned a car newer than 1949 Jeremys daily in High School was a 33 Ford pickup and this 32 Roadster is his latest build it had been awhile since his last car a 1941 Willys,I asked Jeremy were he was from he said just up the road in Lexington Ky…shoot far my fear was realized and a pick was made from right here in Central Kentucky no biggie.Now of course being from Lexington also I had to ask were do you live and him also asking me…this is where the story hits close to home and by that I mean right down the street,remember the 41 Willys yep that’s right at one point not long ago Jeremy was my neighbor small world isn’t it.Even thou we lived down the street from each other we never really introduced ourselves but I remember that Willys…one BadAss Hot Rod the best of everything heck even from the road driving by I thought this guy had stock in Earls fittings,all you could see was blue & red with miles of stainless fuel line I watched this car being built on passes by his house to mine.Jeremy moved before the car was finished so I asked him whatever happened to it…he informed me that his family too was struck with a horrible accident his wife was in a car wreck just miles from our neighborhood and spent sometime in Rehab and healing,after that wreck the Willys was needed for medical bills and experiencing such a close loss of maybe his wife building and having Hot Rods really just didn’t matter…his family and family time meant so much more.For me this also really hits home life is so precious and we are here for such a short time it really sucks that it takes tragedies like this to wake us up to not things of this world but the people of this world…our families,friends and even those ones who may not be.Jeremy’s wife did improve they love each other more today than yesterday and appreciate the good things in life…but we all also figure out that even in tragedies God wants us to be happy and enjoy this world he created for us including the things of this world but just like Jeremy don’t be attached or worship these things because they do not last,they return were they come from and will not follow us into eternity.God Bless my old neighbor and my new friend Jeremy Helton.