Ok I’m gonna put the conclusion paragraph first here, and then I’ll tell you a story, and then I’m gonna put the conclusion again at the end to reenforce it. Cool?: The reason I’m having this little internal monologue… is to try and speak to y’all who might need to hear it. Think past stereotypes. We live in a time of mega-influence that’s bigger than our ability to even comprehend at this point. But know the difference between the influencing that’s speaking to your HEART… versus the influencing that’s speaking to your FEARS or INSECURITIES. Ok here’s the background story…
This photo just came up as a memory on my timeline from 10 years ago. ^^^^^
This was the Jeep that planted the seed for me… a rental car in Kauai. But it was more than a car… it was an adventure. And it left me a changed man lol.
But it would take me almost 3 more dumb years to bite the bullet & get a Jeep of my own. For years, literally, I tried to rationalize it out of my head. Why did I do that? Who the hell knows honestly lol. Maybe I was just hesitant to get myself out of my box… out of S3 Magazine’s comfort zone demographic. I kept telling myself I wasn’t a Jeep person. I let all the ‘Jeep stereotypes’ (fill ’em in however you’d like) influence me & define me. Rather than being confident enough to just follow my heart & define my own damn self. But that wouldn’t last (see photo below, circa 2016/17)…
“Jeeps are so common”…
Everybody’s got a Jeep, and that was a turn-off for me initially. A lot of times, car enthusiasts want to go after a project that’s more unique. Something that has more of a cult following, and is less mainstream. Big fish in a small pond syndrome. We all want the attention of being different, right? Ok fine but let’s be real: Some vehicles out there have a massive following for a reason! They’re just ‘the good ones’. And they’re arguably the best at what they do. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize beauty when it’s all around you. And commonality can be a turn-off from the outside looking in… until you become part of the tribe. Then it all starts to freaking make sense. (photo below circa 2021)
One day back in late 2015 when I was still on the fence hem-hawing around…
I expressed to my Jeep-owning friend (Paul Firestine) that I just didn’t know if I was ‘a Jeep guy’. He didn’t even let me finish my sentence before he spit out his sandwich & was like,
“Bro are you freaking kidding me? You’ve got dreads, you wear boardshorts everyday, you’re literally like ‘the most Jeep guy ever.’ Just go get one already, Jesus. Even if you hate it & sell it, which you won’t… you’re not gonna lose money… because it’s a Jeep! You’ve been talking about this for 3 damn years now, you obviously want one, so just go buy one already!”
And then somehow as I soaked-in those words, it all made sense. I was being a pu$$y. Hey lol – it happens. So I pulled the trigger, and I had a new Jeep within a few days. And almost instantly, the community I thought wasn’t for me… became one of the best communities I’ve ever been a part of hands down. It’s opened up a whole new aspect of car culture. Built friendships & camaraderie. And allowed me to see the beauty in my own backyard that I would’ve never even known existed. I cannot ever see myself not owning a Jeep at this point. It’s like that. So……
The reason I’m having this little internal monologue… again… is to try and speak to y’all who might need to hear it. It might not be a Jeep at all. But whatever’s pulling on you… think past stereotypes. We live in a world of mega-influence that’s bigger than our ability to even comprehend at this point. But know the difference between the influencing that’s speaking to your HEART… versus the influencing that’s speaking to your FEARS or INSECURITIES. Let the good stuff roll in… and don’t let the other stuff rob your joy. (photo below, Jeep Beach 2022)
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Converted Jeep believer, here. This man speaks the truth. I never necessarily had anything against Jeeps, but always felt they were a lot of hype. Then I experienced firsthand what they could do and I was done, hook, line, sinker. I was hesitant too and thought I’d never be a Jeep guy, but sure as sh!t, here I am. It has been such a departure for me from the normal tuning/race car world, and like you mentioned, has been an extremely engaging, welcoming, and rewarding community. It’s no wonder so many are converting, it’s opened up a whole other side of the automotive world that I’d honestly paid little attention to before, and who doesn’t need more car/truck stuff in their lives to deal with and obsess over .
This guy gets it!