Teaching children to master doing the right thing informs whether or not they will do something; teaching them skills in doing things right merely shapes how they will. McQueen is taught that successes stemming from shortcuts are anything but. Likewise, children will figure out how to deal with tools or techniques that promise success, but end up tainting success with an aftertaste of neglect, alienation, and emptiness.
Arrogant McQueen, who eats “losers for breakfast,” longs for the prized Piston Cup because of the fame and following that racing stardom promises. He floors the gas pedal to reach that destination through the quickest, easiest, most gratifying route. Disrespect to fellow racers and pit-stop crew is par for the course; as far as he’s concerned, he’s a “one-man show.”
Lesson on a Side Road
Old Hudson passes on a trick or two about racing. He teaches hotshot McQueen something else in the bargain about life. “If you’re goin‘ hard enough left, you’ll find yourself turnin' right.” One spectacular scene shows just how true that is. Sometimes the pace and direction of the herd isn’t the best way to go even if it’s the fastest or assures riches and glamour.
Hudson’s point is that it’s tempting to believe that faster is always better, even if you’re a true-blue racecar. Sometimes it pays to slow down because then you actually see others, rather than see through them. You listen, and don’t just hear the words they say. You respond meaningfully, thoughtfully, to what they feel or think rather than react reflexively, aggressively, or defensively to what they do.
In families, slowing down might mean rising or getting ready earlier so you’re able to help rustle up breakfast or chat a while with a troubled parent, child, or sibling before rushing off to your tasks. In school or college, this might mean being patient with those who’re slower than you are to understand a subject or master a skill.
Sally, a pretty Porsche (voiced by Bonnie Hunt), explains to McQueen this wisdom in slowing down. The way you achieve something matters almost as much as what you achieve. Radiator Springs was the town that warmly, proudly, and graciously served weary travelers years before it was bypassed by the Interstate just to save minutes of drive time.
Cars now whiz by. Back then, they took the time to make and build friendships, not just stop to check for tires, headlights, taillights, oil, or gas. “The road didn’t cut through the land like the Interstate. It moved with the land. … It rose, it fell, it curved. … Cars didn’t drive on it to make great time. They drove on it to have a great time.”
Where you go through life So sure of where you’re headin' And you wind up lost And it’s the best thing that could have happened ‘Cause sometimes when you lose your way It’s really just as well Because you find yourself Yeah, that’s when you find yourself.
You can watch “Cars” on Disney+/Hulu, Apple TV, and Prime Video.
