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This piece ran in the San Francisco Chronicle on April 24, 1988. It is way copyrighted and may not be used without my written and notarized permission. |
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BE A REGULAR GUY
Do you find that your above-average income is standing in the way of your being a Regular Guy? Do people shy away from you at parties? Don't you wish people would look at you and say, "There goes a Regular Guy," instead of what they really say? Dream no more. Regular Guy Camp is for men just like you. Do you remember when you were a kid, when you could work on your car to your heart's content? Now it's twenty years later, and you've been riding a desk since college. Wouldn't you like just one brief trip back to those glory days? One more chance to hear the unmistakable crack of the welding torch lighting up, to smell brake fluid and used oil, to get dirty and love every minute of it; a chance to hang out with Regular Guys in a real man's environment. If that's a fair description of your life, perhaps it's time you looked into Rodriguez Brothers' Regular Guy Body and Fender Camp. Regular Guy Camp is your chance to mingle directly with career Regular Guys, a chance to try your hand at manual skills that have rusted for a couple of decades, a chance to participate in the direct masculine exchange that takes place only in such an environment. During your two weeks in Regular Guy Camp, you and your fellow Regular Guy Campers will be treated like Regular Guys 24 hours a day. You'll live in one of several three-bedroom "bachelor pads." Don't worry about the furniture; it's already beat up, and you can put your work boots on the coffee table or the or the sofa any time. By tradition, in these pads, domestic beer is the beverage of choice, and it is consumed only from the original aluminum container. When was the last time you slipped a finger under the end of a pop-top? In the course of two weeks, you will progress through a real body-and-fender training course, indistinguishable from the course given to body and fender men. The only difference is that you will be going back to your real job afterward. You will receive your own coveralls, with your name on the pocket like everyone else's and the logo of the Rodriguez Brothers' Regular Guy Body and Fender Camp on the back. On the first day of camp, most campers put a ceremonial rip somewhere in each set, since new coveralls are considered bad luck. You'll want to get these dirty right away, so you won't look like a "rookie." Your first week will be spent in learning the fundamentals of body-and-fender work. This includes some unexciting routines, starting with sweeping out the shop, but by the end of two weeks, you'll be sparking up the torch or pounding out a fender like veteran. You'll never hear "La Cucaracha" without thinking of the catering wagon horn at 10:30 every morning. After each day's session, you'll drink beer from the can in the company of some of the most respected men in the body-and-fender business, you'll sing along with Willie Nelson, you'll ride around in a Chevy, you'll go bowling, and at the end of your stay you'll attend a barbecue catered by Regular Guy wives. It will seem like all too short a time before Body and Fender Camp is over and you have to return to the office, but there is always next year. Future plans include a month-long Advanced Camp with two additional weeks of front end, muffler and tuneup training. Your Regular Guy Camp fee of just $2,500 covers all meals, lodging, four sets of coveralls and the use of the most modern body-and-fender tools for two weeks. You'll never forget your days as a Regular Guy.
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