In Times of Question...

This has been a horrible week of reflection for me. We read of racers losing their lives all the time in RRW but when it comes home to your front porch things change. This event, combined with something I witnessed in Austin earlier in the week has shaken me to my core. I have asked myself time and time again if I should race. Am I doing the right thing? What about my family? My 4 year old daughter?

How can I justify this?

Then I read this post and now I know the answer. Passion. I race because of my passion for the sport and the people involved. I drive 1000 miles a week because of my passion for the students in this state. That passion is what drives me and makes my life complete. I could lose my life doing either one of these things. But because of that passion, it would be for a reason.

Thank you Jamie.

Boy, that Weems Mommy did a FANTASTIC job raising those two.

Thanks Jon & Jamie for the much appreciated and needed inspiration.

Jon really deserves all of the credit...all I did was post it for him. And...I think he's a super cool guy to have as a brother [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img] the best I could possibly hope for, that's for sure!
~J

I got my 1st AMA Pro license in 1953 and have been involved in racing all these years and somtimes wondered why. This piece says it all.Thanks Jamie

Wow, great post Jon/Jamie. That's the best explanation I've seen for the madness we call fun. Well stated words I could never find to describe the love of racing. Thank you......

The first post is strong enough to move a man to tears, but the thrill is tied up in the list of posts behind it screaming "EXACTLY!!!" I am 25 and even younger at heart and I look around and my heart breaks for a generation and even a society that lives and dies without ever knowing what Passion is. Look down the list of posts and tell me it's a thrill be a part of so many people that DO understand. You can usually tell the instant you meet a person. "this man knows what passion is"... As I wonder around on Saterday evenings at CMRA events I am in awe of seeing so many people so full of passion. Whether it's the competition, speed, or comraderie...
I am honored to be a part of CMRA.
I'll see you all in 3 days...

Thank you guys, I really needed this post at this time. After reading about Drew, I admit I was really at a loss for words...

I remember feeling the same way after witnessing the tail end of Gordon's horrendous crash last year... I think that stayed with me until I saw him walk up and say hi at TWS... I could barely believe it!

I'm pretty sure Drew felt the passion and that he would want us all to keep ours, too.

Great post! Especialy as we get older, we wonder if this even makes sence to do. Questions like,"what will happen if I take a big digger?", questions about your family or job, how will this affect your overall life?...Well, for most of us, this IS our life, and life HAS risk, and chance. If you sat on a log for 60 years and never experienced flying around a corner at 100mph, would you have true "happy" internal memories? I think not. The "passion" we all experience is priceless. The truth is.. any of us could flop out at any moment due to crossing the street, choking on a ham sandwich, or going hunting with Dick Cheney. This is life. Live it to the fullest, live every day like it's your last, and don't go hunting with Dick Cheney.

FFFFantastic!!!

Yup. When I ever get any stuff about how dangerous racing is, I ask them if they know how dangerous a bathroom at home is (injury/kill) or driving in a car to work every day.

We definately aren't the kind of people to sit at home hoping nothing bad would happen only to break a hip in the bathtub.

Those that just don't get it - never will.

Let them be boring honkies playing golf. Let them try not to do anything dangerous and then get in a horrible car wreck on the way to work. They take their lives for granted by NOT living life.

I never feel so much alive as when I'm on the track. I never feel the blood rushing through my veins as when I'm hunting down my next passing victim (or trying to keep up with someone who just passed me!).

Let them sit at home and waste their lives watching TV arteries clogging up with fat from potato chips and ice cream. Let them have heart attacks with sofa cushions grown into their buttocks.

Let us arrive to same place in death wishing they should have done more, and me regretting nothing.

And if my time comes doing something I love, so be it.

I've enjoyed so much more in life than the average American couch potato.

We racers live more in one weekend than most TV watching, golf playing, mall shopping Americans do in a life time.

Those that get it, do it. Those that don't get it watch the rest of us that do and say "I wish I could that."