WU7X
Snow on the Roof
I gently disagree. What I see is a group of like minded people sharing their concerns and planning for a great future for everyone.
Interesting how this forum and overlanding has changed over the years...
- Thread starter jays0n
- Start date
I gently disagree. What I see is a group of like minded people sharing their concerns and planning for a great future for everyone.
Grump E-Vet
Active member
I will endorse and expound on what these 3 gents are saying. From my perspective the “I resent people trying to come enjoy the thing I am passionate about, talk about all the time and advocate for since they are doing it wrong” resembles statements in pop culture such as “I liked XYZ band so much better before they sold out.”
Now are trends like this where a hobby\sport\lifestyle explodes in popularity cyclical in nature and at at their height do they tend to attract people who could fairly be described as poseurs? Absolutely!
However, even with the foreseeable loss of the “fairweather fans” that will move to the next shiny thing such as the folks that previously were all in on the Tiger Woods Golfers\Harley\Import Car Tuner fads will the community overall still be larger afterwards? I would say more than likely.
So where does that leave us? While I admit, it is definitely easier to write people off who are new to the community that we may think are not “doing it right.” I personally can’t advocate for that approach because when I try to put myself in their shoes and try to divine their intent, I quickly realize what some of their motivations may be. For me, it all boils down to the one thing I think is simultaneously the single greatest strength of overlanding, which also happens to be what so many people in the world today are searching for. Even if they don’t realize it or can’t quite define it, the absence of this thing is the root cause of the FOMO phenomenon.
That critical thing is community, specifically the real and authentic kind that can’t be found sharing one’s #bestlife on Instagram or with witty 140 or even supersized 280 character quips. These seekers willing to truly make a deep dive into our culture and kneel at the altar of Overlanding, will come to see that life is best lived far beyond the borders of the 5 to 13” screen they devote so many of their wakened hours to. Out in that margin things can be hard, sweaty, probably dusty or muddy and often a little smelly but those new sensory experiences when shared are the types of things that truly meaningful bonds are made of.
Once they come to that precipice, if we can move out of our comfort zones and try to cross the aisle to offer help or advice when needed (perhaps even be a sort of mentor if the opportunity presents itself) then we can be part of showing new enthusiasts the “right way.” Then not only do we gain more devotees sharing in the pursuit of what we are all so passionate about, we might even help the world out by adding a few more well-rounded other-centered people in the process. If that alone is not a compelling enough reason to be positive about including more off-road]overlanding disciples. Then I would mention that with a larger demand for products used in these activities we will all Iikely benefit from more innovation and economies of scale effect on those item’s pricing.
Brianj5600
Member
Ditto
jacobconroy
Hillbilly of Leisure
I'm just a "high-school" educated fellow and it has proved to be difficult to follow your line of reasoning here. Trust me, I tried.
Can you summarize your thoughts for the simplest of minds here (such as me...and possibly others)? Here is a list of the words I have trouble with. To be truthful...I don't necessarily have any problems with these words. But, I'm interested to know what you think they mean in regards to the "over-landing community".
- advocate
- divine
- wakened
- cyclical
- poseurs
- FOMO (it's tough to be "all that and a bag of chips" with an acronym)
- Phenomenon
- precipice
Full stop.
Grump E-Vet
Active member
@jacobconroy I am a two war combat vet who has had multiple TBIs, if you can’t follow maybe forget about it and just go see how a different window in your mom’s basement tastes. But since I always enjoy interactions with the left side of the bell shaped curve, let me break it down Barney-style for a paint-chip connoisseur such as yourself.
Community in this case means a group of individuals with similar interests that form bonds and friendships over time. To relate this to your situation this would be roughly similar to the webtoed and crosseyed clan of carnies that you are both related to and more than occasionally have relations with.
As far as the vocab words you listed that don’t understand and that makes you use your “anger words.” Might I suggest using the google on the inter webs... If that is confusing it is the same thing you use to search for fellow alien abduction survivors, NASCAR tattoo ideas, faked moon landing conspiracy chat rooms and 80s Wrestlemania VHS tapes dubbed to YouTube.
Community in this case means a group of individuals with similar interests that form bonds and friendships over time. To relate this to your situation this would be roughly similar to the webtoed and crosseyed clan of carnies that you are both related to and more than occasionally have relations with.
As far as the vocab words you listed that don’t understand and that makes you use your “anger words.” Might I suggest using the google on the inter webs... If that is confusing it is the same thing you use to search for fellow alien abduction survivors, NASCAR tattoo ideas, faked moon landing conspiracy chat rooms and 80s Wrestlemania VHS tapes dubbed to YouTube.
jacobconroy
Hillbilly of Leisure
So sorry. There appears to be some confusion between you and I. Please allow me to respond to each of your childish points in kind:
1. First, thank you for serving our country (not kidding here). Was someone shooting at you? If yes, then you are the bomb! Don't know what a "TBI" is, but I get the feeling that I should. I'll work on that. Promise. In any case, I sincerely thank you for having multiple TBIs (human hint = if you want to claim credit for protecting the free world to normaltons...explain this to them in plain-english. Gov't lingo is worth exactly as much as a ghetto abortion to regular peeps).
2. I've worked with the Gov't. My point of view is not beyond reason here. Close your eyes for two minutes and imagine the dumbest, darkest, most pointless, and ********-minded wasted of time ever. See it? If so, then you are likely to have previously been a Gov't employee. Good. Let the butt-hurt flow through you. I can take it.
3. My mom's basement is a very peaceful place. Point of fact..as it works out, I happen to own "my mom's basement". I make it a point to prohibit entry to peeps like yourself. Someday I'll replace those old windows. They don't keep the spiders out...much less vets.
4. Holy crap. You are an angry dude. I've been working through your points about "stuff and basements". Seems like there was some Wrestlemania involved. Thank you for that image. I don't have "T.V."...but it's totally awesome to hear about how the other half lives and what makes them angry.
But, I'm just behaving like a butthole. Sorry. You are right. I am wrong. You are smart, I am dumb. You are attractive. I am..not so "good-looking".
You win. Mr. Previous Gov't employee. That writes.
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Grump E-Vet
Active member
As it is fairly likely that you entered this world with a coat hanger in your ear, I will take your word for it!
Do you consider having the ATF raid your meth-lab as “working with”?
This is actually the incorrect, the right answer was, ”what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I've ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response was there anything that could even be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.” The attached memes would have also been acceptable:
Grump E-Vet
Active member
jacobconroy
Hillbilly of Leisure
Yup. Now you are getting it. Everything you've said is A+ correct. Again...you win. Hurray for you! 'Murican warrior!
I'm guessing that this is the sort of praise that "they" showered on you in the military...until you finally realized that they were shining you on and they either cut you loose..or you quit.
Which was it? Tell the truth now.
Disclaimer: If you were actually in combat I will thank you for your service and acquiesce to your online druthers. However, if you just "happened to work with the G-man for awhile" and managed to keep track of numbers in the "property portal" and stuff...then ******** you. Dipshit. I literally know a guy that has rung up my groceries for years that will now be responsible for tracking NPMP property numbers hence forth because I declined the position. Maybe grocery-boy can string a sentence or two together as well?
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Grump E-Vet
Active member
Maybe this a thing thing Navy JROTC or the civil air patrol, but I not where I ever was. The only kind of showers we would be on the recieiving end of would be of the figurative golden variety courtesy of the good idea fairies at the Battalion command level and above. We just got so used it it all the time, that we considered ourselves the Last of the BOHICAns.
Also who says “G-man” anymore? You want to sit on my davenport and watch a motion picture?
jacobconroy
Hillbilly of Leisure
********...the last person that I heard say "davenport" is long dead...but I liked that person.
You really do win here.
Grump E-Vet
Active member
NoU, lets be best friends and pick out tacticool accessories for each other’s vehicles off of eBay, AliExpress! Whoever, finds the product with the worst google translated item description and poorly photoshopped pictures wins.
jacobconroy
Hillbilly of Leisure
Grump E-Vet
Active member
Whoa easier there guy! What do you think we are chatting on some Walkie-talkies! I thought we aren’t doing abbreviations here? If you are going to be carrying around a tent make sure you have at least 4-6 Rotapax hanging off your JK at all times especially when daily driving and you are going to need to install a grille that makes the front look like a shark’s mouth.