What's this title about? As the old saying goes, one door closes and another opens. Such is the case with this post. I was planning to do one thing and plans fell through but then I was rewarded with hanging out with a great group of folks that I would have otherwise missed. In turn, I saw many things I wanted but more importantly I got what I needed. It is becoming increasingly painful dealing with apathetic people that are about dynamic as paste, so having the opportunity to interact with this dynamic group was exactly what I needed. What?? there are people out there with a personality that don't apologize for their achievements? Who'da thunk it? Thank god because I swear I am about to start smak'n the slackers just to see if their still alive. Guh! So... slackers you got a reprieve because I am, at least for now, convinced that achievers still exist. Cue... Mick and the boys with Side 2 track 9.
Well… If you didn't know this... I'll tell you; I'm a gearhead...I love cars. Ah hell I like anything mechanical that hauls um... butt (definitely relative) and can be pushed past the limit of engineered cohesion. If you can do both of those things at once your probably at the top of my list of interests. To be clear its not the material possession or the accolades but more so the finesse of engineering and the drive to push a boundary. That's what racing has been about since day one. Its also what the early days of the space business were about. So recently I was honored to meet a great group of people that brought one part of the equation "a legacy of motor performance" to another group of people the "guardians of the high frontier."
I have been fortunate to be involved with many kinds of racing events with much of it steeped in the automotive industry. Suffice it to say that I know something about cars and car people. One of the things I have always appreciated about Ferrari and all of the exotic marques are the passion of the owners. It's like they get it… They get it in a special way that a musician "gets it" when they hear a note that is nearly impossible to achieve and completely missed by the average listener. Everyone can listen to beautiful music and say "thats nice" but sometimes you have to be able to play the instrument to understand how hard it is to hit that note.
The kind of people that have achieved something on their own tend to define an objects value and do not have the object define their value for them. When it comes to very exotic things the superficial poser happens from time to time but much less than you would imagine. Unfortunately thats the douche that everyone sees. The reality is the that hard things are achieved by a short list of people and you usually dont see them. News flash they are probably busy doing something. Just say'n. Now don't get me wrong there a lot of people that try to buy a personality thru the association of some kind of hardware, clothes, jewelry, cars, etc... the list goes on and on. That's why there are fakes and knock-offs for Rolexes and Coach bags etc etc. but there are no convincing knock-offs for a 2008 Scuderia Spider 16M. There are only 499 of them… PERIOD. You either have one or you wish you did. You can't BS that.
The kind of people that have achieved something on their own tend to define an objects value and do not have the object define their value for them. When it comes to very exotic things the superficial poser happens from time to time but much less than you would imagine. Unfortunately thats the douche that everyone sees. The reality is the that hard things are achieved by a short list of people and you usually dont see them. News flash they are probably busy doing something. Just say'n. Now don't get me wrong there a lot of people that try to buy a personality thru the association of some kind of hardware, clothes, jewelry, cars, etc... the list goes on and on. That's why there are fakes and knock-offs for Rolexes and Coach bags etc etc. but there are no convincing knock-offs for a 2008 Scuderia Spider 16M. There are only 499 of them… PERIOD. You either have one or you wish you did. You can't BS that.
This isn't about opulence. This is about arriving. Arriving a place where you can appreciate the extreme sense of devotion it takes to create something exquisite, not perfect. Perfection is a limit that implies an ultimate achievement or end state. A true artist will always push to redefine the boundary and therefore perfection is just a vague goal not a final end-state. The exceptional people don't waste time with that, they focus their efforts on what drives them and keep pushing.
So this post is about a group wonderful people that have arrived. Most of this group was comprised of members of the Ferrari Club of America - Southwest Region plus a host of other SoCal exotic car owners. These folks have arrived at an exquisite place in their life. They have arrived at a place where they can enjoy the art and share it with others. They arrived at Vandenberg AFB to honor our Armed Forces. I am humbled to have met these folks and hear them talk about their appreciation for our armed forces and how proud they are to meet these noble young men and woman. They were humbled to have come to honor the troops and then found the troops were honored that they took the time to care. To quote… "but wow airmen stopped all down the roadway, they took photos and cheered us on like a parade it was BACKWARDS we were there to show our support to them and they went the other way, clapping and cheering as we drove by, it was truly our honor to be there!"
The real lesson here is about appreciation not about an object. Do we take the moment to be Sidetrak'd long enough to say thank you? To notice someone? To notice there hard work, their strife? The cars themselves represent that drive. Enzo Ferrari didn't set out to be mediocre. The AMG technician that places his signature on every engine he builds doesn't do the job because someone made a checklist due to fear of risk. Quite the opposite. He signs it because its a record of his ability to reach that level.
Objects are just an opportunity for dialog. Much like the sidecar is just a tool to start the conversation. The real treasure is taking the time to meet the people that create, share and appreciate the art… whatever that art may be. Sounds like Sidetrak'n to me.
Bella!! --jp
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