Welcome to the SR20 Community Forum - The Dash.
Register
SR20 forum logo

Thread: Convention = Passion...

+ Reply To Thread
Posts: 1-10 of 43
2012-06-07 20:02:52
#1
Convention = Passion...
This was THE convention for me. Let me tell you why...

I didn't want to admit it but the last couple years I have felt myself slowly slipping away from the SR commun... I found myself ignoring my car(s). I tucked my SE-R in the corner of the driveway and I really hadn't done anything but change it's oil since last October (Seriously). I began to not post as much, became very busy with a few life struggles, had a friend pass, had another one almost die, one get paralyzed. Had a lot of positive things happen as well... Got into bikes and racing, played with shifter karts, worked on my house, refinancing, etc... but, in essence I feel like I did this community a dis-service w/ the displacement of my passion. I feel like I could have been more of a help for this convention and somehow I felt like that slipped away... I hate to say this but at one point I almost forgot it was coming... and for that I deeply apologize. I don't regret a lot of things in life, but I really wished I could have helped the boys more. I didn't realize how much help they needed. I can only appreciate the fact that Rob & Lou stepped up to the plate and held things down.

Albeit, I was inadvertently missing the big picture. That it's not necessarily about the car specifically, but more about the people and the passion that a lot of us share. I saw a lot of this this weekend and can definitely say I needed to see it. I'm a very passionate person when it comes to the things I'm involved with, and seeing the same passion in lots of people’s eyes really got me fired up. I saw too many examples of this last weekend.

These are the only examples that I SAW, from what I hear the examples were countless:

What is Passion to me? Passion is being more than willing, it is actually Doing…

Passion is being so excited about a convention, you can’t sleep so you say eff it and leave at 2am to get to the track by 8:30am.

Passion is having 57 people in attendance on a rained out day on a road course? Wow... that blew my mind.

Picture this. Getting a random call from a member you just met about his car just popping at the track. You immediately drop what you are doing to round up other members to push the car from the gate to the grass. No questions, they just join in. By the time you run across the track to borrow a compression tester there were already 4-5 additional other brethren assessing the damage and checking plugs. That is passion… 5 minutes later the valve cover was off what’s left of the rockers and shims were pulled and in a baggy. Passion is realizing that somehow during this whole process my abs hurt from all the laughter that ensued from start to finish.

Passion is 6-8 people that barely know each other jumping underneath a car to do what they can to get it staged up at the tree.

Even better… Passion is not being all gloomy when said car isn’t 100%... and RUNNING WHAT YOU BRUNG in First, Third, and Fifth Gear ONLY! What? YES!

Passion is going out of your way to help others before yourself… there are too many examples to list. Offering parts, time, answers, knowledge… I saw this many times last weekend. I’ve missed this, dearly... I'm on probably 30-35 different forums I can say that there aren't many communities that are like this.

Passion is taking a car that is worth $1500 blue book and making people drop their jaw with it. I was stepping on my chin hairs all weekend.

Passion is driving countless hours to make it to a Nissan car convention - in a car that isn’t even a Nissan - to be with guys you hardly know - to hang out and laugh like you’ve been best friends for years…

Passion is riding down to the trees in a drag car to keep a brother composed enough to do his best.

Passion is a group of people incoherently screaming to the top of their lungs (and skip around like they won the lottery) when they see a man that works all day and grinds all night finally pop the 11 second run that you know he deserved.


These cars are breaking on 22 years old... passion is the lump in your throat you get when you see some of them looking better than they did when they left the showroom floor.

Passion is getting amped when you see a stock parts car put a whooping on a modified honda.

Most of the time I find myself jumping to peoples aid when I can... I've driven miles around to help when it's needed... and this notion has been payed forward from all the people that have helped me. It goes back to even before days of se-r dot net. It amazed me that this weekend that there were so many people with that same attitude… any opportunity where there was someone in need, by the time I got there - there were already a bundle of people offering assistance. It’s almost overwhelming. I seriously miss that... It choked me up hard...

Passion is setting aside life, and sometimes family to organize events like this... Believe me when I say it's more than taxing - At times It's frustrating, you can feel alone, you worry about if things are good enough... all for the sake of other people. Until you realize that everything worked out fine and that all your efforts provided more than surpassed everyone's expectations. Passion is realizing that after all the hard work, you would do it again.

Passion is sitting down with some of OG's and discussing about how people stated literally that "This changed my life". What? I love hearing that. Seriously, it's killing me to even type it. That is beyond awesome.

Lastly passion is the reason when the weekend was over you dreaded getting back to everyday life... Passion is already looking forward to the next time...

Sorry if a little of that is mushy gushy and drawn out, but I just had to express somehow... Thank you guys for everything.
Last edited by Meeners on 2012-06-07 at 20-18-39.
2012-06-07 20:15:11
#2
Holy crap!!!
2012-06-07 20:19:24
#3
^LOL
2012-06-07 20:22:19
#4
Very well put Meeners
2012-06-07 20:29:08
#5
Truth.
2012-06-07 20:29:36
#6
Thanks Meeners, That was very well said!
2012-06-07 20:30:00
#7
Meeners, you had one of the best experiences you will ever have in your life. That's just awesome to read your testimony from the heart. And you don't mince words, you tell it like it is. My first and only convention was in '02 here in Phoenix and I thought I had an out of body experience with so many positive things that happened there. Even met Chriscar, Mike Kojima & Greg V as well as so many family members that came from the old forum and are here now. I saved everything I could from that convention and after reading your experience there this past weekend I'll yank it all out of storage & go through some serious recall in the next day or two. Conventions like this are a life changing event because family becomes much closer when the laptop or smartphone is put away and one on one with members brings out the best in what the Convention is really all about. Your account of this year's event says it all. Thank you Tokes. Mush is good bro.
2012-06-07 20:30:03
#8
Family. You are all my family members and I thank each and every one of you!
2012-06-07 20:32:46
#9
this is an awesome explanation of this past weekend meeners you are the man cant wait for everybody to get back together next year.
2012-06-07 20:46:28
#10
You the man Ameen!
+ Reply To Thread
  • [Type to search users.]
  • Quick Reply
    Thread Information
    There are currently ? users browsing this thread. (? members & ? guests)
    StubUserName

    Back to top