Inspiration can be a fleeting, sometimes whimsical thing: All too often, we humans are inspired to begin something, only to find that our initial excitement was more chimeric fantasy than a true calling. Other times, what begins as a passion turns normal and mundane due to time and the realities of building, maintaining, and living our lives.
Andy, I am confident that you have provided much more than inspiration to many on this board. Your garage, your house, home, and very lifestyle are in many ways beautiful far beyond that to which we are accustomed to seeing and dealing with.
While there are many, many, fine- no- superlative garages here in this forum, I believe your garage and lifestyle will (and possibly already have) create concrete aspirations far beyond both the Philippines and garagejournal.com.
Please forgive me for taking the liberty of presuming and believing that your lifestyle is almost perfectly represented by the styling and execution of your garage and car collection. When I first read this thread, I spent well over 2 hours, going back and re-reading much of it. A week later, I did it again. When next I went into my garage, I felt crowded, almost claustrophobic, and conspicuously overdone. 5 minutes later, I pulled all of my cars and motorcycles out of my garage, sat down in the middle of the space, and began to evaluate what was needed for functionality, and what was simply there to 'fill a void' in the conspicuous consumption sense of thinking that 'more stuff is automatically better.'
What I found was that very nearly 1/2 of the objects around me were far less than necessary, far less than useful, and did nothing to add to either the style or a perceived potential use that I want in my garage- or life. Most were acquired on a whim that has no basis in either need or actual use.
I've only just begun a journey for which you bear much responsibility. While my goals are as yet unrefined, your garage, words, and life have inspired me to completely reconsider what it is I do, and how I want to do it- both within and without- of my garage. While I do not aspire to convert to a completely minimalistic lifestyle, you have inspired me to de-clutter, simplify, and to seriously evaluate each and every purchase beyond simply endorphins and money, to search within myself and decide if I truly need a thing, or whether the 12 year old, previous me simply desires it.
I am a better man because of what I have read and learned here.
Thank you.
Robert Williams,
San Angelo, Texas
