Time to Fly Again
What a broken car has to do with the gut feeling
Susi now has 283,175 kilometers on the clock. Its engine runs smoothly. The clutch is fine. The car is absolutely reliable. Many thanks at this point to Jorge Martins and his workshop team. Jorge repaired and checked my car with trailer before the journey.
If you want to entrust your car to trustworthy hands, then stop by JMCC on the Lohe in Bad Oeynhausen. The automotive master is a specialist for vintage cars and does real craftsmanship.
How could I be so stupid?
JMCC: Specialist for vintage cars.
Unfortunately, Jorge can’t do anything about stupidity. Last summer I wanted to impress a woman. We were in the mountains of Gomismta, Georgia. “There, let’s drive up there,” she said, pointing to a path that is a challenge even for hikers. “Nah, let’s not. That’s not a road where we can drive with the car,” was my answer. My gut feeling already told me this would be a bad idea.
She wanted to, I didn’t. We argued back and forth. In the end, I let myself be persuaded and drove up that damn bumpy road. After 200 meters, a water hole yawned in front of the hood. But my ambition was caught. Now I wanted to go through there. Got a run-up, revved the engine, and KRAWOMS, hit the car with force right on.
The moment of false ambition
“Susi” in der Werkstatt von JMCC.
In the following weeks, I repeatedly lay under the car and repaired bent brackets, a flat tire, and the exhaust, which had pressed into the underbody. The torque support was completely gone. I waited three weeks for the spare part. The shock absorber on the front right is also damaged. I wanted to replace that soon.
But now there’s a new noise. Something’s cracking in front right when steering. I can imagine what that is. I haven’t looked underneath yet. And I won’t anytime soon.
Away from here and explore new worlds
Automotive Master Jorge Martins.
Because I need time for myself, time for business, and good people around me. I’m too tired to drive through Iran and Pakistan right now. So I stash the car here in Georgia and take the plane. Off to the sun. I will start in March. When I’m back in summer, autumn, or whenever, I’ll fix Susi.
Now I have to take care of myself first, after allowing myself too often last year to take paths that weren’t mine. Simply away from here and start anew, explore new worlds, inside and out. I’m curious what adventures await me.
Lesson learned: Gut feeling is (mostly) right
Hey, if your gut feeling tells you something’s wrong, then listen to it! Again: As tempting as the carrot in front of your nose may look – listen to your gut feeling!
If you don’t understand what your gut feeling is trying to tell you, then go into silence. It can be very painful because you gain clarity and recognize things that you might not want to recognize. Perception clarifies. Feelings become tangible and the mind can put them in the right order. Then you can recognize if the carrot dangling in front of your nose is a trap.
Clarity is the royal road to happiness. You intuitively know what is right. The noise others make throws you off course. If you’re already too deep in because you couldn’t resist, then it’s better to admit one (or more) mistakes. This admission is painful, but only lasts a moment. Better an end with horror than a horror without end.
