A sign shaped like a keyhole with illustrations of a woman roller skating, a young man in a car, and a drive-in restaurant in the background, set against a desert landscape with a straight road and the Route 66 shield with the number 30.

30     DRIVE-IN   

KEY CONCEPTS:  convenience, laziness, hurried activity, instant gratification, connection, together but separate, unity amidst diversity.

MESSAGE:  Let’s all go to the snack bar for some instant gratification.  As any dancing hot-dog could attest, Drive-In shows reliance on a quick fix.  America’s convenience culture formed around a passion for automobiles, and lightning-fast results.  Drive-ins from the 1920’s evolved into drive-thrus of today, which account for up to 70% of fast-food sales. Consumers find them essential despite numerous criticisms.  Do they add to traffic congestion and the decline of walkable neighborhoods?  You tell me.

Both Drive-In Movies and the fast-food variety capitalize on deep-seated cravings for fat, sugar and salt.  These mouthwatering ingredients bring on a dopamine response.  It facilitates survival in scarce environments…but leads to excess in modern, wealthy climes. We often favor comfort over deep, sustained growth: it’s so much easier.  Drive-In patrons dive right into those fries.  Do you use food to mask emotional needs, dear traveler?  Concessions fare leans heavily on nostalgia and reward…but in snarfing those snacks are you making concessions to bad habits?  Are you craving deeper connections in your life?  Comfort food can’t make us comfortable long-term.  Even when the whole parking lot is full, if you’re idling in your Chevy alone just to catch another beach party flick…where’s the fun fellowship in that?

Convenience is the silent thief of time.  Don’t be in a rush to suck down that frozen, synthetic, non-dairy dessert.  Your real treat is wholesome, home-churned with love and imbued with all-natural ingredients: the best things in life are inconvenient.  Delaying gratification generates more meaningful rewards.  It fosters self-reliance, improves self-control, and enhances motivation, yielding greater long-term satisfaction.  All that from popping inside for a sit-down meal?  Yum!

Laziness erodes character and resilience; it leads us to forsake discipline.  Ironically,  inaction could even trap you in hard labor, like clinging to a dead-end job working the snack counter.  Do you have greater talents left untapped?  Are you losing your sense of purpose?  Missed opportunities pile up like yesterday’s moldy wrappers and crumpled soda cups.  Inaction negatively impacts others; put the Plymouth in Park and physically connect with your community.  Get out and see some sights.  Saunter up to play on the swing set or stop to sniff the popcorn.   Whether you step inside to hang with fellow movie buffs or chew the fat over chicken dinner…slow your roll and skip the Drive-In, friend.

RELATED SITES:  DELGADILLO’S SNOW CAP DRIVE-IN, SELIGMAN, AZ; ORIGINAL MC DONALDS SITE, SAN BERNARDINO, CA; FIRST STEAK ’N SHAKE SITE, MAIN STREET & VIRGINIA, NORMAL, IL;  CARL’S DRIVE-IN, ST. LOUIS, MO; CARTHAGE ROUTE 66 DRIVE-IN THEATER, CARTHAGE, MO; RED’S GIANT HAMBURG SIGN, SPRINGFIELD, MO; DOGHOUSE, ALBUQUERQUE, NM; TASCOSA, AMARILLO, TX; SKY VIEW DRIVE-IN, LITCHFIELD, IL.