Full Circle

Rods and Roses would like to thank Steven Behar for being our very first featured story for the 2015 car show. We feel privileged to share Steven's story with you.

"Life came full circle when I found my red 1957 Ford Thunderbird in 2001, forty-four years after I first saw it drive by my bus stop where I grew up in Monterey Park, Ca. I later became principal of a school in La Puente, Ca where I hired a band teacher named Tina. One day, she mentioned her mother had a red, 1957 Thunderbird . I asked her where she grew up. Well, Tina lived two blocks away from me but she was 25 years younger. You can figure out the rest yourself. Yes, I bought the same car that I had first seen some 44 years before! It is fully optioned. I am the second owner. Karma came full circle for me and the Tbird.

The car was destined to come back in my life. And here is the second amazing part of the story. My girlfriend Jacki, lived across the street from the car. We went "steady" for two years when I was 14,15 and she was 13,14. Her mother made us break up but I never forgot her and always loved her. Well, 5 years ago I found her again, some 50 years later. We shared the last 5 years seeing the world , enjoying life, being best friends, and loving as soulmates do. Unfortunately, when we came back from Bora Bora two months ago, she suffered a stroke and passed. I have the most beautiful memories to cherish forever. And yes, the T Bird popped up in Jacki's home movies shot in the 1960's. Jacki and her family had returned from  vacation and had some extra film footage to shoot. Her father had her and her brother stand in the street in front of their house. Guess what was behind them parked in the street while he was taking the 8 mm film? You guessed it! The red T Bird. So....both Jacki and the car came full circle for me."