Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Am I firing on all cylinders?

There are plenty of phrases to describe it; whether you say that you aren’t the sharpest tool in the shed or not the brightest bulb in the box. One of my personal favorites has always been you are a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Though lately I have been wondering if not firing on all cylinders would be a proper description of the same mental ailment.
You see I am a red blooded gear head and have been since I got my first go kart at the ripe age of 7. From the time I could turn a wrench I worked at my parent’s auto repair shop doing simple procedures such as oil changes or tune ups. Like any proper American male I got my driver’s permit on my sixteenth birthday and passed my driver’s test just 3 months later. I competed at my first autocross within the first month of driving and have not looked back since, until now.
Having returned home from my second trip to the SCCA Solo National Championships just a few short weeks ago I began seriously considering hanging up my helmet for a while as I fear I am taking my hobby far to seriously and that is not doing great things for my mental health. I have since been to another local event since returning and am still unsure of what to do. Now most seasons I would just pack everything up for the winter and come back next year with vengeance.
This year is different for a couple reasons. The biggest reason is that I have a new love in my life and wanting to spend the most time available with that person leads me to second guess going to events even though she offers more support than I could ever ask for. The second reason is another very large reason. It has to do with my fiscal situation. I earn enough money to pay all my bills but my car payment and autocross habit eat up all my available spending money and honestly if I am not enjoying it all that much anymore what should I do?
Part of me thinks I have lost my mind and should be committed to the funny farm for even thinking about leaving motorsports even if it is just temporary because for so long it was a major part of what defined me and it still is to a large degree. Another part of me thinks that maybe I am a changed person from the last several years of travelling the country to race around a parking lot and now that I have found something close to home that keeps me from wanting to leave so often. So as I work out this little mental issue I seem to be struggling with I think everyone should take a deep look inside themselves to see if they are a truly firing on all cylinders or are they too running a little rough and need to do a minor overhaul before charging back into this race we like to call life.

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