As motoring writers, we have the privilege of test-driving all the latest cars, and this makes us the envy of many, especially those who share the same passion for cars. That we love what we do, beyond it being just work (part-time in my case), only serves to make the situation even more enviable.
Many of my friends, especially the guys, have told me that they wished they had a job like that, and they’ve jokingly offered to help me test-drive the cars or attend international press drives on my behalf. And it does feel good for a girl to be asked my opinion about cars. I also sometimes find myself in a rather awkward, but slightly amusing predicament where a guy friend who’s totally clueless about cars feels left out of the conversation while the rest of the company, with me being the only girl more often than not, chatters on enthusiastically.
But there’s a potential downside for long-time motoring writers. Because they have driven every conceivable car/variant and seen it all in the automotive industry, they might become less easily impressed or excited by the newest “wheels”. Rediscovering their inner child would be a good solution to this problem, I reckon.
Children regard the world with curiosity, and you can see the amazement in their eyes when they chance upon a spider web or a dragonfly for the first time, when they discover what a spray bottle can do, or imagine the unlimited play possibilities and hours of fun a simple blanket can offer – as a picnic mat, a tent, a cave or even a makeshift slide. Everything is a new experience that fills them with a sense of wonder. Adults, on the other hand, tend to need a big deal to ignite even a small spark of interest from them.
But if they could reacquaint themselves with the “kid inside”, igniting an explosion of wonderment in them would be easy. I’ll always remember my colleague’s reaction when I gave him a lift in a turbocharged car. Practically speechless, the “turbo virgin” just sat there with mouth agape and eyes the size of tennis balls. He said it was the first time in his life he had ever experienced anything like that. For the record, he went and bought himself a turbocharged ride a few months later.
