Racing. It's something that I've always been involved in since I was young. Whether by foot or wheel, I've always had a passion for competing and I still continue on in this tradition today.
But sixteen years ago that changed for me when my first born arrived. Then it wasn't so much about what daddy wanted as much as it was about the child. And I subscribed to this new paradigm lock, stock, and barrel. I sold all of my auto racing equipment, quit the sport totally, and focused all of my time and money on the little ones. And (stop me if you heard this one) I still continue on in this tradition today.
My son has been racing karts competitively for seven years now. He drives, I wrench. Oh and I pay for everything, I'm the driving coach, chauffeur, engineer, and all around morale booster. And where once I found it painful to think that my remaining years in the sport were going to be spent behind a wrench and not a steering wheel, I've really grown to appreciate all of the work that goes on behind the scenes to manage a winning team. And one of my tasks that I'm proud to say I've enjoyed some success in is securing business partners.
Racing takes money. And like the old saying goes: speed costs, how fast do you wanna' go? Flat out would be the common answer in our pit. And if it wasn't for the people who see potential in marketing their goods in our form of motorsport we'd be moving at much slower speeds. We truly appreciate all that these individuals bring to the tabel for us but we're constantly searching to bring new people on board. Whether you're a business owner looking to expand your market, or a race fan looking to get up and close to the sport, we may have something that can help you.
Shamless plug moment
New for 2011, Inch-Hi Motorsports has put together a basic sponsorship plan which covers several investment levels in the team. For business owners, they can showcase their products on a stage set in a fast paced world that only motor racing can offer. And with demographics touching virtually every corner of the market from child to adult, male and female, and just about every income bracket in between, there's every reason to believe that your ROI will be swift and your bottom line fat.
And for those of you who share a passion for the sport but lack the time or funding, we have entry level plans that can get you one step closer to the action. From simply receiving honorable mention for your contribution to joining us on pit road, we have a level that can get you as close to the team as you want.
The list below outlines what we have to offer and I would encourage anyone who is interested to e-mail us for more information or to request an application. We can be reached at mjm@pegasusautoracing.com
Premiere Sponsor (Unlimited number of spots available)
• Silver - Share in the dream and receive honorable mention on the team’s website. $25
• Gold - With the Gold level, you will receive an honorable mention on the website but with the addition of an autographed team picture. $50
• Platinum - At this level you’ll receive the benefits of our Gold sponsor level with the addition of a small graphic on the kart. $100
Executive Sponsor (Two spots available)
• Standard - Platinum level Sponsor with larger graphic on kart and up to four (4) tickets to one event including lunch at the track. $500
• Preferred - Standard level Sponsor plus four (4) tickets to two (2) events including lunch at the track. $1000
Marquee Sponsor (Single spot available)
• Featured link on team website
• Framed and autographed picture
• Team apparel
• Admission to any event(s) during the season. Up to four (4) tickets per weekend with lunch served at track
• Up to an 8 square foot section of trailer gate for company logo or graphic
• One afternoon test session behind the wheel of a team kart at Badger Raceway with full crew support
• Driver (and team) available for shows, open house, grand openings, etc.
Call for rate
Friday, January 7, 2011
Friday, November 5, 2010
Because I care
How many of you can relate to this?
Your tween, or teen, arrives home from school and you lovingly greet them and ask how their day was. an array of inaudible grunts bellow from them or worse yet, in their most irritated look they ask why is it that you have to ask so many questions.
Dinner has just finished and while everyone is doing their part in cleaning up you simply ask if anyone has homework and if so, have they completed it. Then as if you've asked them to move mountains for you, they angrily say that either A.) they do and they'll get it done, just stop worrying about it, or B.) they'll get it done in study hall and ask you to please stop nagging them!
Or how about this. Your daughter is dressed up like an angel. Her hair and nails are done, and she's ready for her first formal high school dance and she's going with a boy who is a bit older no less. Like any concerned parent you ask how the two of them are getting there, if he's going to take you to dinner, and what your plans are for the night. Before you can even finish the last sentence, or click the first picture, she starts with the "why are you so nosey" thing and wonders why you can't just trust them and give them their space.
The answer is plain and simple. It's because I care. And any level headed, concerned, caring and loving parent would say the same. Us old folks understand space, hell we need it sometimes ourselves. And nosey? How about wanting to still be a part of your life! It's rough on someone when their child starts to mature and shows that they need their parents less and less. But we don't do the things we do to control you or make your life miserable, we do it because we care.
My son has been driving for a few months now and I don't think a day goes by where I don't preach to him about the importance of safety belts, looking both ways, and keeping his distractions to a minimum. I know he's wondering why I have to continually remind him of this stuff when (in his mind) he's a seasoned veteran with over one hundred races in the past seven years behind the wheel of a kart. I have to keep reminding him though that everyone going in the same direction, even at much higher speeds, is usually a lot safer than slower traffic moving in opposite directions.
I just finished reading an eye-opening article the other day about the staggering amount of teens that are dying on our nation's streets and highways. The enormity of this problem is made crystal clear when this 2006 article explained that since the Iraq invasion in 2003 there were 2600 American troops killed in combat. In that same period, over 22,000 teenagers ages 15 to 19 died in traffic accidents on U.S. roads. So when I seem like a broken record and constantly warn you about the dangers that lurk around every corner I do it because I care. And statistics like that make it no easier on us.
Now I haven't been given any reasons yet to doubt my new driver, or the one who will follow him, but this week I felt inclined to put my expectations of them on paper and have them sign their life away. Or hopefully in this case, their life to keep. Nothing too complicated, and pretty easy for a teen to understand, or am I giving them too much credit? You be the judge.
The XXXXXXX Family Driving Contract
I, (_______________________________) Hereby agree to the stipulations stated below granting me the privilege of driving. If at any time I should violate this agreement, my driving privileges could be forfeited until further determination is made by my parents and/or the authorities, if involved.
1. Should I get a traffic ticket, I agree to pay for the ticket, as well as the difference in the insurance premium for as long as the premium is in effect.
2. I agree to pay for damages that I incur which are not covered by insurance.
3. At no time will I ever drink alcoholic beverages and drive, nor will there ever be any in the vehicle.
4. I will not drive any vehicle until I and all passengers have buckled up.
5. I will keep the vehicle I drive clean, inside and out, and be aware of its needs for gas, oil, etc.
6. At all times, whether driving or parked, my music will be played at a low level as to not distract my driving as well as the peace of others. I will also pull to the side of the road when texting or calling someone on my cell phone in the case of an emergency. Otherwise my phone will be OFF while the car is in gear.
7. And as it pertains to taking rides from others, I will never enter a vehicle where the driver (or any of its occupants) are impaired by drugs and/or alcohol. I understand that in doing so I could not only jeopardize my safety, but forfeit the privilege of my own license if this is discovered.
I have read the above agreement and sign it in accordance with these rules.
Signed,
(Parent)____________________________ Date ________
(Student)___________________________ Date ________
I found something that resembled this document in an old Autoweek magazine article and just massaged it into something that I'm hoping we can all live with. I say this tongue-in-cheek as its become very clear that I need to take a dose of my own medicine. Just a mere two days after he signed it I took a cell phone call while we were out on the road and was immediately reprimanded by both of them for it. It's great that they remembered the rules and made them very clear to me, I guess they are listening after all. So much for leading by example.
But in the end it really doesn't matter how old you are, you'll always be concerned about your own. How many people out there are still hounded by parents (more than likely Mom) on a daily basis? You can only tell her so many times that things are alright and everyone is doing fine before it begins to get a bit monotonous, right? But you'll most likely do it to your children when they've grown, and it's for no other reason than why your own mother is calling you. It's because we care.
And if you think a lack of this kind of "bother" will make your world a much more peaceful place then regardless of whether you're young or old I beg you to think again. You really need to reevaluate your situation and thank god that you have someone who cares. There are far too many people in this world who do not, so it shouldn't be such a monumental task to realize that your issue with our being nosey is really a blessing in disguise.
Your tween, or teen, arrives home from school and you lovingly greet them and ask how their day was. an array of inaudible grunts bellow from them or worse yet, in their most irritated look they ask why is it that you have to ask so many questions.
Dinner has just finished and while everyone is doing their part in cleaning up you simply ask if anyone has homework and if so, have they completed it. Then as if you've asked them to move mountains for you, they angrily say that either A.) they do and they'll get it done, just stop worrying about it, or B.) they'll get it done in study hall and ask you to please stop nagging them!
Or how about this. Your daughter is dressed up like an angel. Her hair and nails are done, and she's ready for her first formal high school dance and she's going with a boy who is a bit older no less. Like any concerned parent you ask how the two of them are getting there, if he's going to take you to dinner, and what your plans are for the night. Before you can even finish the last sentence, or click the first picture, she starts with the "why are you so nosey" thing and wonders why you can't just trust them and give them their space.
The answer is plain and simple. It's because I care. And any level headed, concerned, caring and loving parent would say the same. Us old folks understand space, hell we need it sometimes ourselves. And nosey? How about wanting to still be a part of your life! It's rough on someone when their child starts to mature and shows that they need their parents less and less. But we don't do the things we do to control you or make your life miserable, we do it because we care.
My son has been driving for a few months now and I don't think a day goes by where I don't preach to him about the importance of safety belts, looking both ways, and keeping his distractions to a minimum. I know he's wondering why I have to continually remind him of this stuff when (in his mind) he's a seasoned veteran with over one hundred races in the past seven years behind the wheel of a kart. I have to keep reminding him though that everyone going in the same direction, even at much higher speeds, is usually a lot safer than slower traffic moving in opposite directions.
I just finished reading an eye-opening article the other day about the staggering amount of teens that are dying on our nation's streets and highways. The enormity of this problem is made crystal clear when this 2006 article explained that since the Iraq invasion in 2003 there were 2600 American troops killed in combat. In that same period, over 22,000 teenagers ages 15 to 19 died in traffic accidents on U.S. roads. So when I seem like a broken record and constantly warn you about the dangers that lurk around every corner I do it because I care. And statistics like that make it no easier on us.
Now I haven't been given any reasons yet to doubt my new driver, or the one who will follow him, but this week I felt inclined to put my expectations of them on paper and have them sign their life away. Or hopefully in this case, their life to keep. Nothing too complicated, and pretty easy for a teen to understand, or am I giving them too much credit? You be the judge.
The XXXXXXX Family Driving Contract
I, (_______________________________) Hereby agree to the stipulations stated below granting me the privilege of driving. If at any time I should violate this agreement, my driving privileges could be forfeited until further determination is made by my parents and/or the authorities, if involved.
1. Should I get a traffic ticket, I agree to pay for the ticket, as well as the difference in the insurance premium for as long as the premium is in effect.
2. I agree to pay for damages that I incur which are not covered by insurance.
3. At no time will I ever drink alcoholic beverages and drive, nor will there ever be any in the vehicle.
4. I will not drive any vehicle until I and all passengers have buckled up.
5. I will keep the vehicle I drive clean, inside and out, and be aware of its needs for gas, oil, etc.
6. At all times, whether driving or parked, my music will be played at a low level as to not distract my driving as well as the peace of others. I will also pull to the side of the road when texting or calling someone on my cell phone in the case of an emergency. Otherwise my phone will be OFF while the car is in gear.
7. And as it pertains to taking rides from others, I will never enter a vehicle where the driver (or any of its occupants) are impaired by drugs and/or alcohol. I understand that in doing so I could not only jeopardize my safety, but forfeit the privilege of my own license if this is discovered.
I have read the above agreement and sign it in accordance with these rules.
Signed,
(Parent)____________________________ Date ________
(Student)___________________________ Date ________
I found something that resembled this document in an old Autoweek magazine article and just massaged it into something that I'm hoping we can all live with. I say this tongue-in-cheek as its become very clear that I need to take a dose of my own medicine. Just a mere two days after he signed it I took a cell phone call while we were out on the road and was immediately reprimanded by both of them for it. It's great that they remembered the rules and made them very clear to me, I guess they are listening after all. So much for leading by example.
But in the end it really doesn't matter how old you are, you'll always be concerned about your own. How many people out there are still hounded by parents (more than likely Mom) on a daily basis? You can only tell her so many times that things are alright and everyone is doing fine before it begins to get a bit monotonous, right? But you'll most likely do it to your children when they've grown, and it's for no other reason than why your own mother is calling you. It's because we care.
And if you think a lack of this kind of "bother" will make your world a much more peaceful place then regardless of whether you're young or old I beg you to think again. You really need to reevaluate your situation and thank god that you have someone who cares. There are far too many people in this world who do not, so it shouldn't be such a monumental task to realize that your issue with our being nosey is really a blessing in disguise.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Animoto, you gotta try it!
Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.
You gotta go to this site if you're like me and you have about a billion pictures stored on your computer. It's simple and it's free (if you keep it to 30 seconds)and you can choose from several backgrounds and music overlays.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Now I've heard it all
First, I'd like to apologize for taking as much time off as I have from 3AM with Gus. Busy is an understatement when it comes to what has been on the family agenda this year but it took something like the horrible off-road crash that happened in the Mojave desert this past weekend to wake me up and get me going again.
What has and always will aggravate the hell out of me is stupid people. For the purpose of this article I'll narrow it down to the stupid things that stupid people say, and lately it seems to be spreading like an epidemic. People just don't think when they say things, or they feel that the garbage coming out of their skull cave truly has merit. Like politicians who never seem to be at a loss of ignorant words: "I smoked it but I didn't inhale", or Mark Chapman's insane reasons for killing John Lennon. Think of the moral fiber we're dealing with here and it's easy to base our comments on these individual's way of thinking but not when it comes to a good friend of one of the victims of the California 200 crash. This guy spoke out on NBC's Today Show this morning and had the audacity to place some of the blame in the driver's hands for his buddy's death. This is when I had to scream enough!
After all he looked like an intelligent individual, a nice person who truly cared for the well being of his deceased friend's family and I felt awful for them, him included. I don't know how I'd react if one minute I'm standing with my friend or family member watching a race and in an instant they're lying dead right next to me. What I do know is that I wouldn't say something as silly as "the drivers should slow down to somewhere around 20 or 30 miles per hour when they reach these stages that have fans lining the track". Earth to slow guy, YOU are on THEIR track! I'm just going to throw this out there but if you don't feel safe being that close to racing vehicles at speed then you should get your ass further away from them! I watched the video and nowhere did I see anyone with a gun to all of your heads making you stand where you were.
Seriously, you show up at a race with no guard rails, catch fences, concrete abutments, or any other means of keeping the vehicles on track and you think the drivers have some sort of responsibility to the crowd? If the crowds that attend these events had that little voice of reason talking in their head they wouldn't be standing at the road's edge while vehicles whistle past them at 80 miles per hour. We've seen this all too often in Europe with the WRC, and their jaded past has called for some changes in how the sport now handles crowds at these races. Until recent years, thousands of people would line the road side with most of them on the track surface until the cars would come through their stage. Then, like the parting of the Red Sea, people would retreat to the sides of the road just inches from the vehicles as they would fly by at very high speeds. Countless injuries and numerous deaths have occurred over the years and you would think that the organizers and promoters of the California 200 would have learned from something like this. Oh they state that people must be 50 feet from any vehicle traveling above 15mph, but it's one thing to talk about it and another to figure out a way to enforce it.
What happened this past weekend is a tragedy and regardless of what I or anyone else may think that these people did or didn't do, it doesn't lessen the fact that many innocent people were injured or killed. Good people who went there with just one intention- take in the sport they love and have a good time. But the simple missing ingredient here was common sense. It wasn't a speed limit imposed on drivers in certain areas. It was our ability as rational thinking human beings to analyze the situation, assess the risk, and adjust accordingly. But for some people it's much easier to be reactive and point fingers at others in times like this than to be proactive and avoid having things happen to us at all. Just listen to one spectator from Laguna Niguel. When asked about what she saw and her thoughts, she said "There were too many people, They all wanted to be close". "I didn't see the driver, he probably would have been killed by the crowd".
The prosecution rests.
When you visit a race track that does have all of the safety measures in place you still know things can go wrong. We've all seen Indy cars climb the fence at the Brickyard or a Top Fuel car explode and rain debris in the stands and in many instances people have gotten injured or even killed. We as fans (or participants) all run the risk of serious injury or even worse every time we set foot in a racing facility. The human body is no match for a vehicle of any size at any speed, and we all have to respect this fact and take every precaution available to ensure our safety and that of others. Sadly after this weekend it's a point all too well known now by people who may have forgotten otherwise.
What has and always will aggravate the hell out of me is stupid people. For the purpose of this article I'll narrow it down to the stupid things that stupid people say, and lately it seems to be spreading like an epidemic. People just don't think when they say things, or they feel that the garbage coming out of their skull cave truly has merit. Like politicians who never seem to be at a loss of ignorant words: "I smoked it but I didn't inhale", or Mark Chapman's insane reasons for killing John Lennon. Think of the moral fiber we're dealing with here and it's easy to base our comments on these individual's way of thinking but not when it comes to a good friend of one of the victims of the California 200 crash. This guy spoke out on NBC's Today Show this morning and had the audacity to place some of the blame in the driver's hands for his buddy's death. This is when I had to scream enough!
After all he looked like an intelligent individual, a nice person who truly cared for the well being of his deceased friend's family and I felt awful for them, him included. I don't know how I'd react if one minute I'm standing with my friend or family member watching a race and in an instant they're lying dead right next to me. What I do know is that I wouldn't say something as silly as "the drivers should slow down to somewhere around 20 or 30 miles per hour when they reach these stages that have fans lining the track". Earth to slow guy, YOU are on THEIR track! I'm just going to throw this out there but if you don't feel safe being that close to racing vehicles at speed then you should get your ass further away from them! I watched the video and nowhere did I see anyone with a gun to all of your heads making you stand where you were.
Seriously, you show up at a race with no guard rails, catch fences, concrete abutments, or any other means of keeping the vehicles on track and you think the drivers have some sort of responsibility to the crowd? If the crowds that attend these events had that little voice of reason talking in their head they wouldn't be standing at the road's edge while vehicles whistle past them at 80 miles per hour. We've seen this all too often in Europe with the WRC, and their jaded past has called for some changes in how the sport now handles crowds at these races. Until recent years, thousands of people would line the road side with most of them on the track surface until the cars would come through their stage. Then, like the parting of the Red Sea, people would retreat to the sides of the road just inches from the vehicles as they would fly by at very high speeds. Countless injuries and numerous deaths have occurred over the years and you would think that the organizers and promoters of the California 200 would have learned from something like this. Oh they state that people must be 50 feet from any vehicle traveling above 15mph, but it's one thing to talk about it and another to figure out a way to enforce it.
What happened this past weekend is a tragedy and regardless of what I or anyone else may think that these people did or didn't do, it doesn't lessen the fact that many innocent people were injured or killed. Good people who went there with just one intention- take in the sport they love and have a good time. But the simple missing ingredient here was common sense. It wasn't a speed limit imposed on drivers in certain areas. It was our ability as rational thinking human beings to analyze the situation, assess the risk, and adjust accordingly. But for some people it's much easier to be reactive and point fingers at others in times like this than to be proactive and avoid having things happen to us at all. Just listen to one spectator from Laguna Niguel. When asked about what she saw and her thoughts, she said "There were too many people, They all wanted to be close". "I didn't see the driver, he probably would have been killed by the crowd".
The prosecution rests.
When you visit a race track that does have all of the safety measures in place you still know things can go wrong. We've all seen Indy cars climb the fence at the Brickyard or a Top Fuel car explode and rain debris in the stands and in many instances people have gotten injured or even killed. We as fans (or participants) all run the risk of serious injury or even worse every time we set foot in a racing facility. The human body is no match for a vehicle of any size at any speed, and we all have to respect this fact and take every precaution available to ensure our safety and that of others. Sadly after this weekend it's a point all too well known now by people who may have forgotten otherwise.
Monday, January 11, 2010
I've been a bad, bad boy
I used to think that one day I would follow Buddhism more closely. I can honestly say that I could adhere to the five precepts but after receiving a bit of information on a past archenemy of mine, that idea looks like it's about to get shot straight to hell!
Practice the training of mindful speech, refrain from harmful speech. This would be precept number four and one that since I consider myself more mature than I was twenty years ago, I feel I can certainly live with. Or can I? I once knew a man who told me to surround myself with positive thinking people and eliminate the negative from my life totally. "Negative thinking people suck the life out of you" he would say. And he was right. Within minutes of standing around and listening to people like this you find yourself buying into their rubbish and making comments about everything around you. But when I recently heard about a certain individual who has backed himself into such a corner that there's really no escape, I jumped in feet first. Comments abound, I didn't hold back my elation for his recently acquired hardship.
This does nothing for my moral fiber. If anything it destroys any shred of decency that I once thought I had. But there's a certain amount of pleasure one gets when an absolutely horrible person is now found on their knees. It feels pretty good when once in time you didn't amount to an amoeba on the ass of a fly in this person's eyes and now you are the one still standing. When someone has historically questioned your morals and decisions and everyone around you, only to later find that they contradicted everything they've said by their own actions. This can be quite gratifying.
Forgive me if I seem to be gloating here. I've always felt strongly that no one deserves to be unhappy, ill-stricken, or hungry and I still subscribe to this wholeheartedly. But in this particular case it's taking just about every ounce of energy in me to find it in my heart and mind to forgive. I'm usually not a cruel person so I can only chalk it up to the hockey player in me since retribution was a defensive lineman's middle name. And before I get every player in North America lined up at my doorstep to either sue me for defamation of character or punch the living tar out of me, let me make it clear that I am not speaking for all hockey players when I say this.
Still, after all the elation has subsided and the little voice of reason speaks up, it's something I nor anyone else in this type of situation should be proud of. And I'm going to try to hear this voice over the sadistic laughter that usually drowns it out. It's no surprise that this person was a pain in many people's rear quarters, not just mine. And I know for a fact that there are others who upon hearing this news began to feel like I do. In the end you can paint it any color you like and lay blame on who or whatever you choose but it's still wrong. Regardless of what god you worship I have to think he/she would frown on it.
Practice the training of mindful speech, refrain from harmful speech. This would be precept number four and one that since I consider myself more mature than I was twenty years ago, I feel I can certainly live with. Or can I? I once knew a man who told me to surround myself with positive thinking people and eliminate the negative from my life totally. "Negative thinking people suck the life out of you" he would say. And he was right. Within minutes of standing around and listening to people like this you find yourself buying into their rubbish and making comments about everything around you. But when I recently heard about a certain individual who has backed himself into such a corner that there's really no escape, I jumped in feet first. Comments abound, I didn't hold back my elation for his recently acquired hardship.
This does nothing for my moral fiber. If anything it destroys any shred of decency that I once thought I had. But there's a certain amount of pleasure one gets when an absolutely horrible person is now found on their knees. It feels pretty good when once in time you didn't amount to an amoeba on the ass of a fly in this person's eyes and now you are the one still standing. When someone has historically questioned your morals and decisions and everyone around you, only to later find that they contradicted everything they've said by their own actions. This can be quite gratifying.
Forgive me if I seem to be gloating here. I've always felt strongly that no one deserves to be unhappy, ill-stricken, or hungry and I still subscribe to this wholeheartedly. But in this particular case it's taking just about every ounce of energy in me to find it in my heart and mind to forgive. I'm usually not a cruel person so I can only chalk it up to the hockey player in me since retribution was a defensive lineman's middle name. And before I get every player in North America lined up at my doorstep to either sue me for defamation of character or punch the living tar out of me, let me make it clear that I am not speaking for all hockey players when I say this.
Still, after all the elation has subsided and the little voice of reason speaks up, it's something I nor anyone else in this type of situation should be proud of. And I'm going to try to hear this voice over the sadistic laughter that usually drowns it out. It's no surprise that this person was a pain in many people's rear quarters, not just mine. And I know for a fact that there are others who upon hearing this news began to feel like I do. In the end you can paint it any color you like and lay blame on who or whatever you choose but it's still wrong. Regardless of what god you worship I have to think he/she would frown on it.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Fortunate
The dictionary defines fortunate as having good fortune; receiving good from uncertain or unexpected sources; lucky. After this past year I would think that to say I'm fortunate would be an understatement.
With winter setting in and the holidays approaching it's once again time to reflect on our past, ponder the future, and celebrate everything that we have. And for those of you who know me and know that I rarely talk this way, let it be clear that I truly mean this and it's not some she-she line that I stole from another writer. Many things from this past year have me feeling extremely grateful for everything that I have.
My Father.
With every day that we grow older we realize that one day our time will come. And I've always feared those telephone calls at unheard of hours of the morning, knowing it can't mean anything but trouble. That call came a few months ago and shook me straight to my core. "He's in the hospital" I was told, "Get there quick".
A stroke and a heart attack could have very easily taken him from us this year but despite the severity of his illness it proved not to be his time as he pulled through it much better than I anticipated. With only small deficits left over from his experience he's got a new lease on life, and although he doesn't drive that well he's pretty much all intact. Honestly, I don't think he could drive well to begin with but please don't tell him I said that. In the end I couldn't be more thankful since in my line of work I see too many people go through this with much different consequences. Frankly, on that car ride in to the hospital that morning I was prepared to write off who he once was but through his determination and a little help from the big guy upstairs it looks like he'll be sticking around a while longer.
Livelihood
Job, home, food, and clothing, we still have them all and I wake up thankful every day for it. It seems like everyone around me is losing something in these trying times. Their job, retirement funds, homes, their sanity! With this economy being a mere shell of what it was eighteen months ago it's a wonder anyone has a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of.
Of my two jobs, I seriously thought that one would be affected more than it has. It's a safe bet to say that working on a rescue squad has its benefits since we'll always have sick people to deal with. But auto racing? that's just disposable income and we all know that in hard times these are the areas that are first in line for cut-backs. On the contrary, we planned and followed through with an expansion of our building when most companies were closing their doors. It's a good thing for us that people will still do anything for their toys. It's because of them that I can still put food on our table. If I could thank each and every one of you I would.
Family
This could very easily have fallen under livelihood since I'd be absolutely lost without them. And without my wife in particular, everything I said about having a roof over my head would be a moot point. If I didn't have her to constantly make me aware of the fact that I don't take home a half million dollars a year, I'd more than likely spend every dime I made. Yes boys I'm the spender in the family, not my significant other as the stereotype often goes.
I've got plenty to be thankful for when it comes to my children. Even though my daughter has reached her teens and my son has begun driving I've still managed to keep my sanity, teach them what I can, love them unconditionally, and get a few hours of sleep each night. Soon when they're both totally mobile I'll probably see next to nothing of them and then in an instant, they'll be gone. It's going to happen sooner than I ever imagined and as lost as I'll feel without them, I'll be grateful for every waking moment I had with them.
The moral of this story is more than just some cliche' phrase. Never underestimate what you have. This should be something that you realize every single day of your life and not just during the holidays. You may not have a big new house, a car, or money. You may not even have a large circle of friends. But if you have family, you have everything you'll ever need. I've always told my kids that friends are important, but especially in their young lives friends will come and go like the seasons. At the end of the day, your family will always be there for you.
But there are plenty of people out there who have no family, and for individuals as fortunate as us this is something that is heartbreaking to even imagine. whether their family members have passed away or parted ways, there are plenty of folks out there who are alone. I met one such person recently and it was both a somber experience and as odd as it sounds, very gratifying for me.
While working on the rescue squad this past weekend, we responded to an elderly man who had fallen in his home. His injuries didn't appear to be life threatening, but he was a bit shaken up and agreed to go to the hospital to be looked at. While en route with a patient we always strike up friendly conversations to help pass the time. And being close to Christmas, the ice breaker for this shift was whether or not your shopping was done and if you were ready for the holidays. "As ready as I'll ever be" he quietly replied. I went on to ask if it was going to be a large gathering or something small, and if he had to travel or if he was hosting the event. "Nope, just me" he said. "My friends have all passed away and aside from my daughter in Florida, I have no one else". Not seeing the forest for the trees, I kept up with the conversation until it awkwardly became clear to me that his daughter hasn't spoken to him in many years. This revelation was sad in itself but being one week from Christmas it made his situation that much harder to grasp. Christmas is so profoundly family oriented and here's someone who is going to spend it alone. When he has family no less!
I was deeply affected by this guy and his situation for days and it wasn't until I began writing this article that I realized he had given me a gift. He had opened my eyes and put everything in perspective for me. Never again will I take for granted what I have and the relationships that I keep with others. And though I have no clue why his relationship with his daughter got to where it is, nor am I implying that he was of any fault, I am going to try even harder at being the best husband, father, and friend that I can. Petty instances between my own daughter and I have escalated to unhealthy levels before and maybe this old timer was a ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.
Not if I can help it.
With winter setting in and the holidays approaching it's once again time to reflect on our past, ponder the future, and celebrate everything that we have. And for those of you who know me and know that I rarely talk this way, let it be clear that I truly mean this and it's not some she-she line that I stole from another writer. Many things from this past year have me feeling extremely grateful for everything that I have.
My Father.
With every day that we grow older we realize that one day our time will come. And I've always feared those telephone calls at unheard of hours of the morning, knowing it can't mean anything but trouble. That call came a few months ago and shook me straight to my core. "He's in the hospital" I was told, "Get there quick".
A stroke and a heart attack could have very easily taken him from us this year but despite the severity of his illness it proved not to be his time as he pulled through it much better than I anticipated. With only small deficits left over from his experience he's got a new lease on life, and although he doesn't drive that well he's pretty much all intact. Honestly, I don't think he could drive well to begin with but please don't tell him I said that. In the end I couldn't be more thankful since in my line of work I see too many people go through this with much different consequences. Frankly, on that car ride in to the hospital that morning I was prepared to write off who he once was but through his determination and a little help from the big guy upstairs it looks like he'll be sticking around a while longer.
Livelihood
Job, home, food, and clothing, we still have them all and I wake up thankful every day for it. It seems like everyone around me is losing something in these trying times. Their job, retirement funds, homes, their sanity! With this economy being a mere shell of what it was eighteen months ago it's a wonder anyone has a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of.
Of my two jobs, I seriously thought that one would be affected more than it has. It's a safe bet to say that working on a rescue squad has its benefits since we'll always have sick people to deal with. But auto racing? that's just disposable income and we all know that in hard times these are the areas that are first in line for cut-backs. On the contrary, we planned and followed through with an expansion of our building when most companies were closing their doors. It's a good thing for us that people will still do anything for their toys. It's because of them that I can still put food on our table. If I could thank each and every one of you I would.
Family
This could very easily have fallen under livelihood since I'd be absolutely lost without them. And without my wife in particular, everything I said about having a roof over my head would be a moot point. If I didn't have her to constantly make me aware of the fact that I don't take home a half million dollars a year, I'd more than likely spend every dime I made. Yes boys I'm the spender in the family, not my significant other as the stereotype often goes.
I've got plenty to be thankful for when it comes to my children. Even though my daughter has reached her teens and my son has begun driving I've still managed to keep my sanity, teach them what I can, love them unconditionally, and get a few hours of sleep each night. Soon when they're both totally mobile I'll probably see next to nothing of them and then in an instant, they'll be gone. It's going to happen sooner than I ever imagined and as lost as I'll feel without them, I'll be grateful for every waking moment I had with them.
The moral of this story is more than just some cliche' phrase. Never underestimate what you have. This should be something that you realize every single day of your life and not just during the holidays. You may not have a big new house, a car, or money. You may not even have a large circle of friends. But if you have family, you have everything you'll ever need. I've always told my kids that friends are important, but especially in their young lives friends will come and go like the seasons. At the end of the day, your family will always be there for you.
But there are plenty of people out there who have no family, and for individuals as fortunate as us this is something that is heartbreaking to even imagine. whether their family members have passed away or parted ways, there are plenty of folks out there who are alone. I met one such person recently and it was both a somber experience and as odd as it sounds, very gratifying for me.
While working on the rescue squad this past weekend, we responded to an elderly man who had fallen in his home. His injuries didn't appear to be life threatening, but he was a bit shaken up and agreed to go to the hospital to be looked at. While en route with a patient we always strike up friendly conversations to help pass the time. And being close to Christmas, the ice breaker for this shift was whether or not your shopping was done and if you were ready for the holidays. "As ready as I'll ever be" he quietly replied. I went on to ask if it was going to be a large gathering or something small, and if he had to travel or if he was hosting the event. "Nope, just me" he said. "My friends have all passed away and aside from my daughter in Florida, I have no one else". Not seeing the forest for the trees, I kept up with the conversation until it awkwardly became clear to me that his daughter hasn't spoken to him in many years. This revelation was sad in itself but being one week from Christmas it made his situation that much harder to grasp. Christmas is so profoundly family oriented and here's someone who is going to spend it alone. When he has family no less!
I was deeply affected by this guy and his situation for days and it wasn't until I began writing this article that I realized he had given me a gift. He had opened my eyes and put everything in perspective for me. Never again will I take for granted what I have and the relationships that I keep with others. And though I have no clue why his relationship with his daughter got to where it is, nor am I implying that he was of any fault, I am going to try even harder at being the best husband, father, and friend that I can. Petty instances between my own daughter and I have escalated to unhealthy levels before and maybe this old timer was a ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.
Not if I can help it.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Commencing Countdown, Engines On
Over thirteen years ago I clipped and saved a short article written by Cory Farley of Autoweek magazine (March 4, 1996, The Plight of the Navigator). It was a story of his trials and tribulations in training his own son to drive. Back then, my oldest hadn't even reached his second birthday but knowing that this day would find us quicker than I could probably imagine I decided to hang on to it. So here I am, over a decade later I pull the yellowing copy from my briefcase and smile. Exactly one month from today we will embark on my son's journey out onto the blacktop jungle.
Actually since that day I have amassed a good sized collection of articles on the topic of teen driving. The reason that this particular story got my attention is because like Mr. Farley, I have driven in the triple digits before with family in tow. I took the "racetrack road" that my kids suggested when we left our house, listening to their laughter as we would glide through a corner a bit faster than the posted limit. I pulled the parking brake on snow and spun us into the driveway like only the finest rally driver would. I've even rolled a car once. Relax! I was twenty years old and single. No children or spouses were harmed in that particularly embarrassing moment in time. And now with a long line of events in my life that my kids are all too aware of, I'm forced to play the "Do as I say not as I do" card. God what a hypocrite!
One thing unique to my situation that Mr. Farley didn't have is a child who has logged a substantial amount of time behind the wheel of a race vehicle. At ten years old my son was moving along at speeds upward of sixty miles per hour before I even took the playing cards out of my spokes as a kid! What I can't quite figure out though is if this fact should assure me of his respect of a motor vehicle or if it's going to turn out to be the kiss of death.
I've been told that I'm certifiable if I buy into the fact that he's going to be safer than those without his training. That when I let him loose he'll tear around town like the whole world is his racetrack. And that he'll obviously drive much faster than the other kids because he's more comfortable at high speeds. On the contrary, I feel that ignorance and a lack of respect for your new steed is the perfect combination for disaster. On my first night with my license I had managed to take about thirty-thousand miles off my father's tires on his Cutlass and about ten years off the transmission. I had seen burn outs at the drag strip and heard of this thing called a neutral drop but never experienced them first hand. By about 11pm on that night I had become a pro. And by some miracle of God I didn't kill myself or take anyone with me in the process.
After reading that article for the first time back in '96 I had the whole orientation planned out for him. But given his resume to date I'm thinking there may be no need for me to pull a parking brake on him to see how he reacts, or take him to a snow covered parking lot to feel the tail come around. He's experienced this already in spades, and at a quicker and much more violent rate than a clumsy two-thousand pound car would. What I do need to do is remind him that not everyone is moving in the same direction as he is. And with people texting, blasting their stereo, and fixing their faces while driving, this environment is ten times more dangerous than any race track he's driven on. Even at a substantially reduced pace the behemoth that you pilot out in the real world- with its doors, roof and sound steel structure- could very well hurt or kill you much easier than anything you've experienced before in competition.
I think the hardest thing for me to teach him is going to be to trust that gut feeling which warns you of impending doom. You know that over anxious and sometime nauseous feeling you get which is quickly followed by a little voice telling you that you're going too fast for the turn ahead. That same voice that asks if the guy parked on the side of the road (who happens to be turning his wheels into traffic) has checked his mirrors and sees you coming. Or those moments when you're at an intersection and you get the green light. You pause for a brief second, check both ways, and then proceed through the intersection after an idiot blows the red light and damn near takes you out of the picture. You can make your new driver aware of these situations but honestly how do you truly teach them? They're just going to have to experience it, have a few close calls, catch their breath, and with time they'll become second nature.
The old saying goes: What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. But when it comes to the responsibility of driving, even if we survive the event, we could be left with the incredible guilt of hurting another individual. We ourselves could become so badly injured that we are restricted to a hospital bed and a ventilator. And if we're lucky, maybe a wheelchair and feeding tube. I just hope he realizes this because even though he's had several years behind the wheel of his kart he's also had the luxury of a reset button on his Xbox. But in real life, and especially out on our roads and highways, there are no do-overs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)