A couple of years ago my husband said he wanted to buy a car. This wasn't your average everyday driver though. This was a 1979 Holden Torana...bright yellow, hatch, V8...and as I discovered when he bought it and brought it home on a trailer...in a thousand pieces. Okay, maybe not a thousand pieces...but lots of pieces much of which was in boxes. Fast forward to present day and the car was put back together and last weekend I accompanied him to my first ever interstate car show.
I wasn't sure what to expect...cars, certainly. But I guess I had a preconceived idea about who would be there and the people it would attract. I quickly discovered it attracted all kinds of people as I observed these enthusiasts ohh-ing and ahh-ing about the cars on display. What really struck me though was the mix of models and brands. There were Holden's and Fords and Chrysler's and Chevrolet's and it actually reminded me of a writer's conference where authors from different genres merge together to celebrate/talk/share stories about the craft. And this was no different. The car enthusiasts were sharing and talking regardless of make and model and clearly there was a strong sense of community amongst them.
And it was fun...just like a writer's conference. So, sitting in my spot under a tent with a laptop on my knees (I was on a deadline at the time) I starting thinking about passion (not the steamy kind) and what drives us to to do things like attend conferences, or train for our favourite sport, or sit in the hot sun under a tent and watch as other people walk by and admire your car. it was passion that made these car owners travel interstate and get their vehicle's into the best condition they could be in and then proudly show them off. No different perhaps to the passion it takes an author to strive for publication or an actor to yearn for the lead in a Hollywood movie.
So, what's your passion? Climbing mountains? Reading? Writing? Fast cars? Cooking? What do you love to to? And more importantly, what makes you happy?
