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#46
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I believe that everyone has a set of gifts. Some of these are more visible and some are more subtle. Some of these gifts are immediately apparent and well-developed, while others need to be discovered and nurtured. There are some people who are highly gifted in a certain area, but are glaringly lacking in others that we take for granted (e.g., the eccentric geniuses). Others have a well-distributed set of gifts, none of which really stands out (e.g., the jack-of-all-trades).
I firmly believe that if you are able to assign a numerical value to all gifts that each person has (including negative values for shortcomings), you will come up with the same average value for each person. In this sense, everyone is equal. But the nice thing is that each person's set of gifts complements those of others, and each person has a unique role to play in this symphony of life ... I also believe that what makes a person is not that person's gifts per se, but what one makes of them. It's how you play that hand of cards that matters. In this sense, "success" is a relative term, although the more popular (though not necessarily the right) benchmarks are wealth, fame and power. I believe travel allows one to refresh one's perspectives, or even to discover new aspects of oneself, with the change in environment as well as the different people one meets along the way. Travel often has the effect of realizing the vastness of this world and one's relative insignificance and vulnerability (especially with nature trips). This all the more makes one think of one's role or purpose in life ... |
#47
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Quote:
Scott p.s. Nothing like cruising the strip with the Ferraris and Bentleys in my diesel!!
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Scott 1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000) 1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold) 1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold) 1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!) 1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold) 1995 Ducati 900SS (sold) 1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold) 1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.) 1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold) 1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold) |
#48
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Although we don't all agree on things on this forum, there is a common thread and that is that we all ENJOY what we are doing. We get a certain amount of satisfaction out of troubleshooting and repairing our cars. Some of us do all our own work while others (myself included) do the routine and medium repairs but leave the heavy lifting to a trusted mechanic.
We also seem to gravitate to those cars where we can see and feel what is happening. As time goes on and manufacturers "improve" their product, we tend to prefer to stay with the ones we can still fix. Two of my friends are at opposite ends of the automotive spectrum. One has an older car that he enjoys working on while the other buys a new model every few years. The first guy greases 17 zerk fittings on his every 3000 miles and does it happily. His car rides a bit harshly he can feel what each wheel is doing. He wouldn't buy a newer model because, "They don't build them like they used to." The second guy's car has teflon bushings, doesn't require greasing, glides down the road quietly and does everything automatically for him. He looks down his nose at the first guy's car and is thankful that "They don't build them like they used to." Interesting, isn't it. Larry, I agree that this thread belongs right here where it is. This is a "warm, fuzzy" thread and we appreciate it more than they might on the OF. A belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all, Wes |
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