Cars and trucks

I'm a truck sort of guy preferring large four-wheel-drive vehicles than traditional cars; It suits my lifestyle better and, in my opinion, they are much more practical. There was a time when an Aston Martin V8 Vantage was on my radar however, in reality, I would probably never have gotten it. More because it is a very one-dimensional vehicle than anything else and for that sort of money there's more practical vehicles around - Common sense comes easily to me.

Having declared my truckiness, occasionally a car comes along that I look at and feel attracted to. The one pictured here is one of those vehicle.

This is a 2019 Dodge Challenger. This image was taken by my brother at SEMA, Las Vegas a few days ago. (He's in the industry and so has the ability to attend the trade-only show.)

This one is set up as a drag car so I don't exactly mean this vehicle, just the model. It's pure American-made muscle, aimed at muscle-car aficionados and comes with the appropriate horsepower, handling and noise that come with that muscle-car tagline. It's not over-styled in my opinion and much-reminiscent of the Challengers of old, which I also love. I just like it - Not something I say about a lot of cars. Maybe it has something to do with the fact they offer a four-wheel-drive option? Hmm, possibly.

I was supposed to be at SEMA this year, my brother had entry passes lined up for Faith and I. We were looking forward to it as my brother hangs out with a few household names from the industry, people with TV shows, race cars and auto-shops that build some of the best cars and trucks around. [I'm not going to drop their names]. But it wasn't to be. Money got in the way [lack of] and we made a decision to spend what we did have in New Zealand and on our trip to Europe next year to see my family. We had to prioritise and make decisions on what is most important to us...SEMA almost won [just kidding]. Seeing family is high on the list.

I know there'll be other opportunities to go to SEMA in the years ahead as my brother is quite heavily-committed/involved in the industry. It will be a scenario in which we tie-in the SEMA trip with a general vacation to the States I guess. [Not that I have any inclination to go to Las Vegas at all...I'd go there for SEMA though.] This will make it more cost-effective and possibly some others in the family might be able to head over as well to hook up with us.

I've seen a lot of my brother's photos from this year and I have to be honest, there's a lot to like; Cars, trucks, bikes one-off creations and just about everything in between. They're all good, all crafted with a lot of effort, love and expertise - There is so much to appreciate, even for me, the guy who really only prefers trucks. There's plenty of trucks at SEMA too though, including those wacky [and talented] Diesel Bros who always come up with top-notch builds.

I'm a little jealous of my brother's auto-industry links...Well, also a few of the cars he has too, if I'm honest. He has built some pretty sweet rides, an old F100 pickup included. Still, we all take our own paths in life and mine didn't lead me in that direction. I applaud him, the way he's placed himself, against the odds, in this position and I don't begrudge him the opportunities its brought him.

I don't think next year will be a SEMA year for Faith and I, but possibly 2021 could be, if things play out the way I'd like.

For now I'll drool over some of the vehicles in my brother's photos, this Challenger included, and be content with what I have now. Being content and happy with one's life is a critical factor in having a fulfilling one. I don't mean one can't work towards more or better, just that one needs to appreciate what they have; The things, experiences and moments - Being one hundred percent present in the here and now is the way to find value, in my humble opinion.

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