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To thine own self be true. What to do, where to go, who to know, or the most important question, what car to own! Every automotive enthusiast ponders their fate at some time or another and just how this question might be answered is not easily divined. Might there be a tried and true method to find true enlightenment? Let’s take a look.
Finding out what is motivating me could be a good start. Might I be looking for the car in which I "got lucky" for the first time? For me, this whole auto-hobby thing is about trying to re-live my wild and unchecked youth. Nostalgia, I’ve learned, is an emotional response and as far as I am concerned, cars are maybe the cheapest and "safest" way to elicit strong, positive and warm feelings! I like that. Really, I need that!
Mike Yager, president of The Real Source poses with his party cooler bug. I myself have always wanted to build one like this into a hot tub.
"Whom am I trying to impress?" I might ask myself. This never works for me as you can please all of the people some of the time… You know the rest. I’ve got to please myself! I need to evaluate the "fun factor"; if I’m not having fun, what good is it?
Looking at the other end of life, I already know which car I am going to run out and buy when I’m diagnosed terminal (given the strength). But as they say, "Live each day as if it’s your last."
So many cars — so little time (and money)! What can I do but accept my fate and take what comes along. I have acquired many vehicles this way and a few have turned into "keepers". It does happen and eventually the car of your dreams will find it’s way into your life. But the decisions will not have ended, they have just begun!
What is left is the biggest and most confounding question — what to do with this baby, keep it stock or modify to the hilt? Anyone who has been around automotive related hobbies for any length of time knows there is very little middle ground here. The path diverges and if I have one foot on either side of the proverbial fence, you know where the fence post is! Well, I guess I could have two cars, one of each! Decisions, decisions.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I could choose one and that would be it, but nooooo, then there’s the degree of how committed (or crazy) I want to be about it! We’ve all seen how those "vintage" guys go off the deep end, but those "radical custom" and "high performance" folks can also get a little hyper! Can’t think too much, I’m starting to get a tension headache. This is the point where I take a trip to the local sanitarium for some rest and relaxation and maybe a few three-letter diagnoses.
OK, I’m back now with renewed vigor and interest. They showed me how to stop just short of compulsion and fanaticism. I think I can go forward now with confidence in my newfound stability. It’s amazing how clouded the thinking can get when overwhelmed by emotions and pressure! Oops, I forgot, this was supposed to be FUN! Well, I guess, anybody can make a mistake.
If the truth was to be known, I guess the answer is that there is no answer. Money and skills might also enter into the picture, but what I now know is that I must look inside my heart and be guided by MY OWN truth and vision, without regard to excessive outside influences. This can only be accomplished by practice —lots of it, and the open-mindedness to learn and grow from my decisions both bad and good.
I trust all this information has either contributed to the clarity of your vision or given you gratitude for your mental health benefits. Well, all I can say is that I’m glad I could help!
