Expressing Himself Through His Car...
I live in quite a male world.
For me, that means lots of sports and car talk at the dinner table with my husband and 17 and 18 year-old sons.
So it only seemed logical in my quest for understanding what quiet time brings to people that I would ask my husband, who spends a lot of time on the weekend in the garage.
Here is part of his response to the question...
What about being in that garage all alone is so special to you?
"Surprisingly, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly why being in my garage, building or rebuilding cars, is one of my special times and places.
It was apparent very early that I have a natural mechanical aptitude. I can--and have-- built or fixed just about everything. There is always a tremendous satisfaction in making something new or making something old better.
However, most of my ability has been required out of necessity:
Building a car is not required. I can do it at my own pace, in my own way and in the end, have something to be proud of that's uniquely mine. It was a major surprise to me that building the Cobra was as much fun as having and driving it!"
My husband and sons built a Factory Five Racing Cobra Kit car in 2003 and have renovated other cars since then. During that time, the agreement was: every Saturday was "car day" and no time constraints were placed on the guys. This helped keep balance in our lives. For those who may not know what a FFR Cobra is, here is a picture:
My husband goes on to say, "I don't look at cars - or most mechanical systems for that matter - as inanimate objects. They don't have feelings or emotions, but they definitely have a soul. Creating a car from a pile of parts is not very different - in my eyes at least - from creating a new life.
From a spiritual perspective, the conception, growth and nurturing process is very similar. Our children were born with a basic personality into which we injected our beliefs and values. A Cobra has its basic personality, too: my goal is to make it a unique being.
When you think about it, the car did reflect my personality in many ways:
It is amazing what you can learn about yourself by simply spending some quiet time reflecting on why a place, person or activity brings you such contentment in your life.
The greatest gift of this exercise is that it was shared with me. It brought my understanding of my husband (who I've been married to for 20 years) to a new depth.
And yes, I think the Cobra (affectionately called Tweek) is a beautiful reflection of my husband, Rich.
How perfectly fitting that our sons helped him with the creation of Tweek.
For me, that means lots of sports and car talk at the dinner table with my husband and 17 and 18 year-old sons.
So it only seemed logical in my quest for understanding what quiet time brings to people that I would ask my husband, who spends a lot of time on the weekend in the garage.
Here is part of his response to the question...
What about being in that garage all alone is so special to you?
"Surprisingly, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly why being in my garage, building or rebuilding cars, is one of my special times and places.
It was apparent very early that I have a natural mechanical aptitude. I can--and have-- built or fixed just about everything. There is always a tremendous satisfaction in making something new or making something old better.
However, most of my ability has been required out of necessity:
- Fix the car or we have no transportation
- Rebuild a generator because my income required it
- Repair the house so the family will have shelter
Building a car is not required. I can do it at my own pace, in my own way and in the end, have something to be proud of that's uniquely mine. It was a major surprise to me that building the Cobra was as much fun as having and driving it!"
My husband and sons built a Factory Five Racing Cobra Kit car in 2003 and have renovated other cars since then. During that time, the agreement was: every Saturday was "car day" and no time constraints were placed on the guys. This helped keep balance in our lives. For those who may not know what a FFR Cobra is, here is a picture:
My husband goes on to say, "I don't look at cars - or most mechanical systems for that matter - as inanimate objects. They don't have feelings or emotions, but they definitely have a soul. Creating a car from a pile of parts is not very different - in my eyes at least - from creating a new life.
From a spiritual perspective, the conception, growth and nurturing process is very similar. Our children were born with a basic personality into which we injected our beliefs and values. A Cobra has its basic personality, too: my goal is to make it a unique being.
When you think about it, the car did reflect my personality in many ways:
- I did not paint it a flashy color (silver); yet it was noticeable - but not too loud.
- It was fast, but not ridiculously so.
- It is a classic...with a touch of the modern."
It is amazing what you can learn about yourself by simply spending some quiet time reflecting on why a place, person or activity brings you such contentment in your life.
The greatest gift of this exercise is that it was shared with me. It brought my understanding of my husband (who I've been married to for 20 years) to a new depth.
And yes, I think the Cobra (affectionately called Tweek) is a beautiful reflection of my husband, Rich.
How perfectly fitting that our sons helped him with the creation of Tweek.
Labels: inspiration
posted by Michelle Yozzo Drake at 11:32 AM
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