I am sick as a dog. No sleep for StoneCold. But found a speech

"StoneCold" (StoneCold) 06/02/2014 at 02:54 • Filed to: None

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...that I wrote a while back for a speech class a couple years ago. You guys and gals are vaguely mentioned! Note, this is a manuscript speech, so it's written how it's read, including accommodations for delivery. Enjoy!

Alright, let's see some hands: HOW DID YOU ALL GET HERE FROM HOME TODAY?

Who Flew? Okay, sailed in? Pedaled? Walked? Arrived by automobile?

Look at those hands! For many, a car is merely an appliance; point 'A' to point 'B'.

For others, myself included, a car is much more than that. A car to me is a means of expression, a link to a community, and a gateway to thrilling experiences and misadventures in the future. I am an automobile enthusiast; a car guy.

First, a confession. I judge people by what they drive. However, not by the make or the model as much, but more so by how they take care of what they have. I highly regard those who respect what is usually their most expensive non-real estate possession, treating it nicely with washes and a vacuumed interior. Not so much those with screeching brakes and piles of fast food wrappers in the back, because a lot can be learned from a person by how they treat their vehicle. Whether it was my 15 hundred dollar Chrysler LeBaron, my luxurious BMW 7-Series, or my middle-of-the-road Jeep Grand Cherokee, I cared for all of them. To alter a quote by fashion designer Marc Jacobs:

"To me, cars are a form of self-expression; there are hints about who you are in what you drive"

However, I am not alone in considering my vehicles as an extension of my values. Whether in-person at car shows and swap meets or on the Internet in forums and blogs, I have met numerous individuals sharing my passion for machines that externalize our inner-selves.

A longstanding community has arisen to support others in need of materials, facts, or opinions. Online, I can ask for the firing order of a Ford 302 and quickly get the non-condescending reply: "1 5 4 2 6 3 7 8 ; Whatcha workin' on, Steve?" Just as these strangers don't hesitate to help me when I struggle, I try to help or teach anyone who could use a hand.

But auto enthusiasm isn't always about interacting with others; sometimes it's about looking inward towards a path you're going to take. Building and rebuilding many a car led me to define engineering as my overall goal in life. My current projects are a baby-blue 1970 Mustang racecar packed with performance, and a dark green 1966 Mustang convertible itching to cruise down roads I've never seen. I have daydreams about the shenanigans I'll get myself into far from Chicagoland, but I'm not sure exactly where these cars will take me. But I know I'll have fun getting there, learning and improving myself through the experience.

And while cars don't make all of who I am, the car culture does significantly impact my personal identity. What I hope you take away from here is that I'm not a guy with a disturbing attraction to hunks of steel and roaring engines. I'm a guy whose display of character to the public is cars, whose deeper connection with others is built from cars, and whose understanding of himself and his future…is through cars.

Bricks > StoneCold 06/02/2014 at 03:45

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Amen to that :D

thebigbossyboss > StoneCold 06/02/2014 at 08:27

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As a member of this internet forum/blog...I am proud.

Once when I was young and dumb(er) I didn't understand firing orders, and wired my Tempo to fire in the wrong order. It started then made a big bang! and made the pedestrians in front of my driveway duck. Hahaha.