Imagination or Escapism?

Imagination or Escapism?

As a kid, I was always described as having an excellent imagination which, as a child is no bad thing. It helps you play and amuse yourself, with toy cars, building things from Lego, writing stories and drawing.  However, this sense of imagination somehow turns to daydreaming in your teens, well, it did with me. Whenever a situation that I was not keen on presented itself, I would simply drift away into my own world.  Probably much to the annoyance and frustration of my school teacher or parents.

As an adult, real life makes you stop using this escapism to avoid things or alleviate boredom whenever you feel like it. At some point it almost becomes honed into a valuable tool that can be used only when it is needed. For example, if in a meeting, and someone is droning on about some inane subject, I don’t know, the quality of the paper that is currently in our photocopier (yes, honestly), like an iPod fitted in my head I can simply switch on some music and replay favourite songs to myself. At the same time, I maintain a screensaver facial expression to not give away the game. That is, occasionally nodding and uh-huhing. In other areas of my life it is also quite a fun thing to do, just stroll into the imagination room in my head, when walking my dog or any other thing that does not require concentration.

Here is the thing about me, since I could walk and hold something, I have always been fascinated with cars. Football, army, climbing, all of the other things that boys like never appealed to me. I can remember being about 12 years old and all the other kids in my street playing football. Where was I? I was under the bonnet of my Mum’s Austin Allegro taking things apart and laying them out like an exploded diagram on the pavement next to the car. A sort of car component autopsy if you will. Don’t worry, I never went too far, her car was always put back together and in working order.

So, cars, well, what can I say? I was one of those kids that could identify the difference between a 1986 Honda Accord wheel trim and a 1988 Honda Accord wheeltrim (13 inch, then 14 inch diameter, different profiles), (sorry). Yes, you are right, a total nerd. So, what has this to do with imagination? Well let me tell you.

Every so often my lovely lady and I discuss the possibility of changing my car. For the record, I have little interest in modern cars, they are nice and more efficient, reliable, safer etc etc., but, I much prefer something about 20-30 years old, tuned and “tailored”. As a treat, I do have a little retro car in the garage that I wheel out on sunny days and for the occasional car show. So, picture the scene – a Monday evening, doggie has been walked, my little lad tucked up asleep in bed, me and my lovely (Mrs S) sitting on the sofa, me with laptop on lap, discussing changing the car.

I go from zero to sensible idea to daft idea to outrageous idea in no time at all. It goes like this –

Mrs S: “I think we should get a diesel, much more economical”

Me: “yes, a diesel”

Mrs S: “Maybe a VW or BMW?”

Me: “Yes, I always fancied one”

Mrs S: “Nothing too big”

Me: “No……… Here, how about using the budget to buy a really good, older, say Golf GTi, and drop a modern VW diesel engine in it, it’s an easy enough conversion, quite a few people have done it.”

Here’s where  it all starts… She turns to me, and I’m sure there is a little sigh, and says, “yes, that could work, maybe.” There is the green light, I have approval to build the ultimate retro car for daily duties. (In my head). I don’t hear the words “could”, “maybe”, “work” or even “that”. Just a resounding “yes”. I am off and racing down the strip at Santa Pod.

After a little while my lovely goes to bed as she is tired, and I am trusted with the laptop, no, the internet and all that it has to offer, (oi, I heard that!). Pistonheads is the first place I go, to find a suitable Golf GTi, after a while, one is found, straight, clean, not too ridiculous. Then I go to the forums and seek out conversion ideas, paint schemes etc. This is the part that takes time, there are an awful lot of VW forums out there. Then I start looking for a suitable donor car for engine, gearbox etc. Then I notice that it is midnight, and my eyes are stinging, so I go to bed, as I should have done a couple of hours previously. The next day at work, during my lunchtime, I research the tools, programming etc and companies that can offer services relating to this new project. By the time I go home that night I have a plan and, after the nightly jobs are done we sit down on the sofa and I drop it into conversation…

“You know we were talking about changing the car last night”

“Err, yeah, I remember something about that”

“Well, I’ve had a great idea”

(roll eyes, sigh) “What’s that then?”

“Well..” and I roll out the plan as loosely detailed above.

I am sure you can guess what is pointed out to me at this point. The words I failed to hear? How impractical and daft an idea it is? The (no doubt) spiralling cost? Along with questions like “What IS the weather like on your planet?” All of these are good, no, very good points. I am not a single bloke who can play around with cars whenever I feel like it. I am (supposed to be) a grown up.

So, the point of this story? Well, it fascinates me (and probably aggravates Mr S) no end how far I can take a mere suggestion of an idea in such a short time. The part that fascinates me is how much I could achieve if I could run with practical things with the same vigour and attention to detail. However, this is not the case.

Yet again, I am finding myself going through the “let’s change the car” routine, but just to myself, as things are changing and our vehicular needs will change sometime. We (my lad and I) won’t need a big car. He keeps mentioning that we should get a van, and if I am honest, I have had a few of them over the years and loved every one, and if I am really honest, have pondered the idea of a day van type arrangement. So I find myself looking at them and forming ideas.

The thing is, there are much bigger events happening around me at the moment. And in my clearer moments, I have to ask myself, is this me planning, or just temporarily escaping?