or, Why I Get Grouchy When I Can't Drive My M.G.
Recently, Will Zehring quoted a line out of an article about
the MGB that ended with the line, "what more could the
rational enthusiast ask for?"
Someone then asked the question, "What the heck is a rational
enthusiast anyway?" I of course gave the knee-jerk reply -- that a
rational enthusiast is an oxymoron, a paradox, a contradiction.
But I've been thinking about it since, and I think I see what the
original article meant when it described a rational enthusiast.
It reminded me, as things often do, of my first love, and of
my discovery of the point of passion. Yes, two hearts beating
as one is a delirious romantic notion; yes, reading the sonnets
of Shakespeare on a soft summer evening under a rose-laced
trellis is a dream come true. But for me, there was one moment,
one instant, one stabbing excruciating ecstasy at which my
entire being shouted, I WANT TO SPEND MY WHOLE LIFE
DOING THIS! (In the words of T. S. Eliot, "Oh, do not ask
what is it; let us go and make our visit.") I knew in a flash
of burning softness that I would do anything I could to
spend as much of my life as was humanly possible, and
maybe a little more, in that same tearing, throbbing joy.
In such a context, it's eminently rational to start thinking
about ways to ensure that one gets to do that little thing as
often as it can be arranged. It begins in small ways like
buying flowers, writing love letters, being attentive and
thoughtful; it reveals itself in even bigger ways like having
fallen in love with the right person in the first place and
deciding to get married. Within the context of such passion,
there is room for taking steps that could be described as
rational, or at least consistent with the goal that your
passion drives you to accomplish. If reason and passion
are too far apart for you to connect them, then think of it as
taking appropriate action to spend every possible moment
experiencing this irrational, compelling passion.
In that sense, the MGB probably *is* an ideal car for such a
rational enthusiast. And I propose judging rationality by
the same standards: wanting to spend as much time doing
something (in this case, driving a sports car) as is humanly
possible. T Series cars have more charm, the MGA is prettier,
the Midget less expensive and more nimble. But what
has always endeared the MGB to me has been the ability it
provides me to spend as much time as possible just driving.
It does this through a combination of many features, from
long-trip comfort, to ruggedness, to easy availability of parts.
So if by "rational enthusiast" you mean someone who has
taken steps to spend every possible moment driving the car,
then the MGB is indeed a great choice for a rational enthusiast.
Not the only ideal choice, but certainly a good one on those
grounds. There's something sheerly delightful about being
able to experience such passion morning and evening, with
the occasional short quick romp at lunchtime as well. (No,
silly, I meant commuting in the MGB!)
And if nothing else, at least cars don't cry when they find out
you've been driving somebody else's.
--Scott "Millions for Castrol, but not one cent for alimony" Fisher
|