Thoughts From Dr. Joe:Lucy Girl!

The Soap Box Derby began in Dayton, Ohio in 1934. Cars competing in this race are un-powered and rely solely upon gravity. There are three divisions of racing in the Soap Derby. The first, Stock, is designed to give the first-time builder a learning experience. Boys and girls ages 9 through 16 compete in simplified cars built from purchased kits. The Super Stock Car division gives the competitor an opportunity to expand their knowledge and build a more advanced model. The Masters division offers boys and girls, 11-16, an advanced class of racer to try their creativity and design skills in.

The La Cañada Soap Box Derby Races is sponsored by the noon Kiwanis Club. The Soap Box Derby is one of the many Kiwanis community events and encourages youth-adult cooperation in building and racing soap box derby cars. As I quietly observed the myriad of activities associated with the race, I thought that this event has a lot to do with bringing families together.

Joel Smith, the Derby director, orchestrated a memorable race. Clyde Hemphill, the deputy director, credited the many volunteers who provided the muscle to make the event possible. Boy Scout troop 502, the Key Clubs of La Cañada High School and Flintridge Prep, and the Saint Francis football team worked hard at making the race a first class event.

Let me take you back to the race. Where was I? Oh! So Lucy and her opponent dart from the starting line neck and neck. Both racers grabbed as much gravity as they could and dashed by at warp speed; faster than speeding bullets. Here they came and there they went. It was that fast. "Go Lucy Girl … Go" replaced the adulation of Speed Racer.

The racers increased their speed exponentially as they vaulted down Michigan Hill and from my vantage point I could not tell who was in the lead. It happened quicker than the blink of an eye; the outcome of a race is often determined by much less. Lucy's formidable opponent suddenly jerked his steering to the right sending his car careening off course. With the dexterity of Mario Andretti, he quickly corrected, righting his car straight to the finish line. The checkered flag loomed and oh, Jubilee! Lucy Girl had won the race.

Lucy's nonchalant persona quickly broke into a smile and instead of receiving the laurels due her she presented me with a red Soap Box Derby T-shirt. "Thanks for coming to see me, Dr. Joe."

Lucy Girl's success was defined in her character and ran much deeper than winning this race.

Dr. Joe is a practicing counselor specializing in helping middle and high school students transition to college. He is a professor of education at Glendale College and a former officer in the Marines. Reach him at captinjoey@yahoo.com or write him in care of the Valley Sun, P.O. Box 38, La Cañada, CA 91012.