Taking an active role in a car club during a pandemic is a really weird thing to do. I’ve been the proverbial “car guy” since before I could talk and walk. I’ve attended car shows and other similar events for so long, I’m too old to remember the first one. But, until recently, I’ve never done anything other than be a spectator. I’ve always been on the sidelines watching as others do all the cool stuff—the cool stuff that I read about, the cool stuff that I come to see.
I took on this co-editor position because it was available, and I was pretty certain I could handle it. And I’m rather enjoying it. But, I’ve found myself with very little to write about as there’s just not much going on. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, everything’s canceled, people are losing their jobs, homes and lives, and the icing on the cake is the fact that it’s a turbulent election year. I could write about politics, there’s certainly no shortage of topics there, but I think you probably get enough of that elsewhere that you really don’t want to read about it in your car club newsletter. Neither do I.
Balancing the state-of-the-world, or the turmoil of life, with the passion of fun and entertainment is difficult, especially during these times. I tend to feel guilty that things for me, personally, are going just fine. In fact, things are probably going better for me now than at any time in the past. It’s a strange thing to see the world literally burning down around me, yet I seem immune to the trials and tribulations others are forced to endure. I realize I’m not the only person in that position, but it’s still a weird realization to face.
Is it wrong to be enjoying life during such troubled times? Is it wrong to seek out ways to have fun while people are being kidnapped by the president’s secret police? I’m going to say “no” to that. Here’s the thing: We’re human, and we (hopefully) have empathy for all humanity. We can care deeply about the injustices that are happening around us, we can care about those in pain and suffering, and most of us will do whatever we can to help wherever we can. But we can also have fun. In fact, we need to have fun. We need to remind ourselves, especially now, that life can be fun and we need to show others that good times still exist. We need to be that beacon of hope that restores faith in humanity for those in their darkest hours.
We’re not yet living in the post-apocalyptic world portrayed in movies like Mad Max, The Road, Children of Men, etc. There’s no fun in those worlds, and let’s hope we never have to see the reality of those worlds. I think getting more involved in a club like this was exactly what I needed to do, and I really hope everyone can find the thing that brings them joy. As I write this, I’m reminded of the time I sought fun in one of my darkest hours.
On May 3, 2014, I attended my first event with LPR. It was a tour that ended at a winery. On route to the meeting location I got a call from my mother, she told me my father had collapsed and had been taken to the hospital. My dad didn’t have any known medical conditions, so it was a bit startling, but I wasn’t too worried about it. I arrived, parked the car, got out for a minute, then my phone rang again. This time it was my brother letting me know that my dad had just died. That was completely unexpected. In a matter of 10 minutes, my whole world had changed. We hadn’t even had the drivers meeting yet. I sat in my car for a moment and contemplated leaving.
I didn’t. I decided to stay on the tour and have fun. First off, my dad would have been really pissed at me if he found out I had cancelled my plans on account of him. But, second, I felt that doing something enjoyable would be a great way to honor him. And it was. I had a lot of fun that day, and I found it to be very therapeutic to boot. I guess the point of this long, drawn-out post is to remind myself, and anyone who wants to listen or may be having the same inner-struggles, that it’s okay to have fun while other things aren’t going so well. In fact, you should have fun. And I think we have a whole car club of good people here to help us out with that.