I bet you think you showed up at the wrong blog today when the featured image is of a shiny new Corvette. No, you’ve come to the right place and this post does not have anything to do with me buying or even having a remote interest in a sports car. Just read on…
When I first hit the publish button on my blog, I didn’t consider myself a writer. My poor English teachers along the way certainly wouldn’t have considered me a writer. But, after writing books, articles, and over 3,500 blog posts, I have become a writer through practice and repetition. It’s almost unavoidable to become a writer when you write every day. Being a writer has taught me many things, but the greatest impact it’s had in my life is it makes me pay attention to the little stories and lessons that happen throughout the day. I imagine comedians begin to see humor everywhere, teachers see examples, and I know pastors see sermon illustrations. (Jeff shared an x-ray of my broken foot as a visual for a sermon just a couple of weeks ago!)
Last week, Jeff and I were chatting about the day as he was driving home from work and he said, “Oh, Marshall sent me a video of him starting a Corvette and I’m afraid now he will hate every other car he drives.”
Okay, back up the conversation here. Our 15-year-old without a license was starting a Corvette?! How did that even happen? Where did it happen? It was actually him starting it? Are you serious?
Jeff was fuzzy on all of the details, so I had to wait until Marshall got home to find out how this came about. He came bounding into the house, still beaming, and I asked him to tell me the story about the Corvette. He pulled out his phone and showed me pictures and a video of him sitting in a Corvette in the local Chevy dealership and starting the car under the supervision and encouragement of one of the employees.
“Was that your friend’s dad or something? It’s just so unusual for a dealership to let a 15-year-old sit in a brand new, incredibly expensive vehicle and actually start it and then actually press the gas pedal“
I was tensing up just watching the video as he revved the engine. I imagined it jumping forward, flying through the glass windows of the building. But, as he revved the engine a look of pure joy washed over his face and the car remained stationary. He then started to laugh and stuck his head out the window to ask how to turn the car off. I told him it was a good thing I wasn’t there because I would’ve “mommed” the whole situation and poured a big bucket of cold water over the idea of him even touching a Corvette.
I watched the video again and listened to Marshall recount the story about the dealership owner bringing the keys over and encouraging him to admire and enjoy a car so far out of his price range that it might as well be sitting on the moon. It occurred to me that I was witnessing someone sharing his passion. It wasn’t about selling a car (or at least not selling THAT car to Marshall.) It was about seeing his excitement at being inches away from a car he usually just points out in parking lots or on the highway. It was knowing how awesome that moment would be when he felt the roar of that powerful engine rumbling and revving at his prompting. It was just being a very cool, kind person who understood that an experience like that would be memorable for a young man about to start driving. (Ack, can you believe Marshall is going to be driving? He used to streak across my pictures in diapers when I first started sharing on this blog.)
Of course, we told Marshall that dad’s hand-me-down truck will be a big disappointment compared to a Corvette!
Now, I’m not a car person at all. I drive used minivans until they die and then I buy another used minivan. I admire old cars, nice cars, and comfortable cars, but if ever an expensive sports car landed in my lap, I would sell it and put that money into a house or retirement or a college fund (and maybe a few art supplies.) But maybe cars will be something Marshall really enjoys and, if he works hard enough, maybe he’ll rev up a nice sports car as a potential buyer one day. Or maybe he’ll opt to buy practical used cars that are nothing special and just fondly remember the time he got to sit behind the wheel of a Corvette and push the gas pedal.
Either way, I was touched, more than I expected, by that business owner sharing his passion without expecting anything in return. I wasn’t there and I don’t know the owner, but I imagine he got a kick out of it, too. He even gave Marshall and his friend each a Corvette hat.
That is what sharing your passion looks like.
Have you shared your passion with anyone else lately? Or has someone shared theirs with you?
30 Responses
Totally thought I was on the wrong website. I am so glad Marshall got to sit in and start a Corvette. Kudos to the individual who knew how exhilarating it would be. I have been reading your blog ( although not every day) since 2010 and you STILL find great material to write about. Thank you Marian.
What a memorable experience for your son! I’m sure you are right that the Corvette employee was a car enthusiast who enjoyed giving a young man a chance to experience a very special car. Your son’s smile says it all!
My partner is great at showing me his interest in things I enjoy, even though, on their own, they don’t excite him. It’s such a gift to receive. Like the interest you and Jeff gave to something Marshall likes, even though it’s not your area of interest.
That is something we can give our loved ones for free.
Thank you for being a grateful human being Marian. It is the
little things that make up a beautiful life of memories.
What a cool experience! I’d probably want to go find the salesman to let him know what an impact that made. Of course, I’m one of those who drives cars till they die also. 🙂
I could always talk/share sewing and old button collections with a close friend. If you pass through Kentucky on your way East, Marshall would enjoy a stop at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. I have to admit I can get excited about the old convertible vettes.
I had a few of those, and they ARE exciting.
I am happy that you shared his enthusiasm and allowed him to dream. Perhaps, this will inspire him to work hard. If not for this, for another interest.
Dreams are so important to allow us to think of better things.
Wheeeeeee! I just got some new undies today! My version of a really hot car, I guess! Funny how what makes you excited as a kid can be so different than what excites you as an adult.
Laura,
This was the funniest comment I have read today.
Love the humor!
What an incredible opportunity given to your son! He will smile for days!
Having and experiencing yours or others’ passions is what makes life so great. No, sitting in a car showroom reaving up an engine of a car I could never afford (or want) would do nothing for me. BUT… how great for the spirit and enjoyment for Marshall. My own boys often “talked” about the somedays of getting a Ferrari !!!! …dream on kid! Now, they really could but don’t want it.
Someday, maybe Marshall will sell all that ironstone and beautiful silverware and really get that Corvette!!!
Me….my heart skips a beat at a Flea market!!!!
My oldest sons passion was cars. He would sit on his bike at the end of the driveway on Monday evenings as all the old and new classic cars left the local car show. He never lost his passion and continued to learn and grow in his knowledge. At 37 he runs a high-end dealership in TX and just help set one up in CA. My middle son had a passion for planes. We lived a few miles from the airport. Got his private pilots license and now works for Southwrst Airlines. Watch for those passions in your boys. It may surprise you the boyhood passions that turn into adult occupations.
What a GREAT story. This should be on the news. Headline: “Kindness and Corvettes.”
I thoroughly enjoyed that blog post! That will probably be a memory not only for Marshall but for you and Jeff as well. It is by far the most fun to share your passion with someone who can appreciate how you feel. Otherwise it’s like falling on deaf ears and sometimes a great time of sharing can go sour. Thanks for sharing his awesome experience with us. I Not only can I appreciate his experience, but your passion for writing and especially for your kids, which most of us can relate to.
Love this post, Marian! May we all share our passions … as you do every. single. day. 🙂
I love and appreciate the way you “saw” that kind car dealer. He was a great person for all the reasons you said, and you are a great person for recognizing them! ?
That was lovely, and you are an excellent writer.
I loved that story, Very inspirational. It made me smile and it also made me ponder. Have I shared my passion with anyone lately?
Thank you
Excellent post. It is such a cool story. I have always been told that we probably won’t know how we have impacted someone else’s life. What a memory this has made for Marshall. Also a good reminder for me to reflect on my passions. Thanks for sharing
I was a quilt teacher for years and now I share that love with any new quilter who shows interest and wants to learn. I have never thought that “sharing my passion” could have the effect you describe. Thank you, Marian, for broadening our horizons with simple, daily examples. You are far more observant than most people and we are the grateful beneficiaries.
I love this post! Thank you for sharing your response to your future driver. I’d like to think I would have reacted similarly. But remembering our children have passions too is so important. And they may be very different than mine. I need to do a better job in sharing my passion.
Love that story!!
What a beautiful story! You asked questions and LISTENED to your son. You then beautifully wrote about it and allowed us to share and learn from the experience!
Thank you!!!
You should take a trip south to Bowling Green KY, where those cars are made, yes you can take a tour of the plant, then go across the street to the Corvette Museum. I have taken that trip many a times with my husband. He has that same joy & excitement on his face & he is 73. Bye the way there is a junk store you could wonder right beside the plant. Vette City Antiques.
What a gift to Marshall that was. Thank you to that salesperson!
Eons ago I left home to go to the big city of Indianapolis and get a job. Dad came to Indy and because I loved speed and Corvettes, we went to look at used Corvettes. I found the cutest little red Corvette…..wait….what did my Dad just say?? No can’t buy you one because with your lead foot you will kill yourself. The worst part is…wait for this…he bought me a used little Ford and did what? Had it painted Chartreuse. The moral of this story, dream, put it on your bucket list and..remember sitting in and hearing that Corvette engine!! Kudos to that salesperson!! I never get a Corvette but I did have some fast cars and really enjoyed them until I become a Mom of 5!!
Marian:
You are so inspiring! I love that you found gratitude even in this challenging day!
We are moving after living in our one and only house for the last 30 years. I’m so excited but filled with all of the memories this house has given me.
I love that you are giving so much away and that you’re excited about the new pieces you’ll find. I feel the same way- I’ve tried to keep only those things I truly love and can’t replace.
Good luck with the final push. Rest up – you deserve it!
What a sweet story! So glad you didn’t yell and scream…. that too would have had an impact… a NEGATIVE one. You are one smart and SWEET LADY too. Sitting in that car probably made a young man’s day. And — perhaps a life goal? Who knows.
My passion for the past 10 months has been Pilates. Going to Pilates has been life giving and life changing for me and I feel like I have found my niche in the world of fitness. It is a sacrifice in some ways financially but has been an important part of my life; I make time to go before or after work and on the weekend. Thanks to Ebony and Lauren who are fantastic instructors! Pilates has helped me with strength, flexibility and balance and I’m so grateful to be able to do it. I would recommend it to anyone, no matter what your age or fitness level.
Was in a local jewelry shop to have a watch band put on my Victorinox and looked through the jewelry case. I pointed to a ring with an unusual set and the jeweler pulled it out and let me try it on. It was a diamond cut in a pyramid shape to look like a horse’s head. The jeweler smiled and said it was a $16,000 ring.