South VA,
I know exactly the sensation that you just described. At first I thought that it was simply the feeling
that you were getting away with something for nothing, like when you are in the middle of
eating the free food samples at Costco?
But the feeling runs deeper than that. At the risk of paraphrasing Robert Pirsig
**
poorly, our level of satisfaction with something is tied to how much we are a Participant
versus an Observer in it's creation.
Using a food analogy, you work at a job, you get paid, and then you take some of
that pay and buy some french fries. And enjoy them. The transaction that allowed
you to obtain those fries was a financial abstraction. Ergo, you are for the most part
an observer.
On the other hand, early in the season you pick out your favorite version of Tomato
seeds. And you start the process of growing those Tomatoes from seed. 60 to 100
days of tending to and anticipating the finished product. As the tomatoes ripen, you
are even reminded of your favorite Little Feat album cover from back in the day.
(
Waiting for Columbus)
And then finally, you pick the first ones & slice them up. Whether in a salad or
on a burger fresh off the grill, you share them with your friends, and everyone
marvels at how much more amazing real tomatoes are compared to what we are
used to from the supermarket.
Both the french fries and the Tomatoes provides calories & sustenance. But
we enjoy those 'from scratch' Tomatoes way more than the fries. Is it because
of all the synapses firing from all the interaction with creating this food from
seed as a direct Participant? Is it the Sense of Accomplishment, or the chance
to share the bounty of your focus/effort with your friends, magician-like?
Or is it just better eating?
****
IMHO I think that driving old/something you fixed is kinda like that. So much of
modern life is just one abstraction piled on top of another. What does it mean
when someone goes to a restaurant, takes a picture of a meal before eating it
...and then posts that pic on FB for *you* to see?
Sure, the picture is a form of communication...but it pales in comparison with
sharing a slice of a real Tomato from your garden while breaking bread with
that same individual.
That's the best I can do. But I can report that the chore truck seems to be
spreading good vibes here in Salt City. Whether stopping to buy gas or
parking at the local Wegmans, people strike up conversations about it all the
time. Always fun. And I am actually surprised how many of them comment on the
color-matched wheels -- I guess they really stand out in a sea of same same
aging alloy wheels (slightly discolored by rusted brake dust) on today's daily drivers
here in the rust belt?
So, yeah, I think there's definitely a feeling about driving old/driving different.
Keep on keeping on -- you will eventually finish getting the Subdivision fully sorted...
**Author of a book about Quality: "Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"
