A nice life lesson
Before dad bought the GTV for me - when we were still just considering the exciting little car, I remember hesitating over how much it'd cost to maintain an old Italian sportscar. I wondered how thirsty she'd be, how much repairs would cost, how I'd afford to use her on an entry-level salary.
In his excitement, Dad insisted that it wouldn't be much of a task. "It's just the rust, they're very robust machines... It's 1.6L - she won't be that thirsty. I don't remember mine drinking very much..." Dad spoke of the Alfa, as he always has - with much fondness and also much authority, having had 2 GTVs, a Giulietta Ti and a Giulia Super in the seventies.
I have heard countless times the stories of his younger days, hanging around with the car junkies adjusting carburetors, removing air filters, cutting ride springs short along the streets of Tiong Bahru before taking the cars (Minis, Alfas and a couple of Fiat Abarths) for a run up to Yong Peng and back. He'd tell me how the Minis would rip up the winding roads, flat out around the corners, but were no match for the Alfa's top speed, how even back in the day the Alfa could reach 100 mph and how nobody could match the genius of Italian design and engineering...and the legend of the Alfa Romeo GTV consumed me through the words of my greatest hero.
I've had the GTV for a year now, and for living's sake I've decided that I can't afford to keep this wonderful machine anymore, neither financially nor emotionally, and its time to let her go. The experience of Alfa aside, its been an invaluable lesson learnt in making decisions for myself.
A wise loved one once told me in other words that ownership of a decision, and its consequences, is one of our greatest entitlements in life.
I'm going to claim each and every one.
In his excitement, Dad insisted that it wouldn't be much of a task. "It's just the rust, they're very robust machines... It's 1.6L - she won't be that thirsty. I don't remember mine drinking very much..." Dad spoke of the Alfa, as he always has - with much fondness and also much authority, having had 2 GTVs, a Giulietta Ti and a Giulia Super in the seventies.
I have heard countless times the stories of his younger days, hanging around with the car junkies adjusting carburetors, removing air filters, cutting ride springs short along the streets of Tiong Bahru before taking the cars (Minis, Alfas and a couple of Fiat Abarths) for a run up to Yong Peng and back. He'd tell me how the Minis would rip up the winding roads, flat out around the corners, but were no match for the Alfa's top speed, how even back in the day the Alfa could reach 100 mph and how nobody could match the genius of Italian design and engineering...and the legend of the Alfa Romeo GTV consumed me through the words of my greatest hero.
I've had the GTV for a year now, and for living's sake I've decided that I can't afford to keep this wonderful machine anymore, neither financially nor emotionally, and its time to let her go. The experience of Alfa aside, its been an invaluable lesson learnt in making decisions for myself.
A wise loved one once told me in other words that ownership of a decision, and its consequences, is one of our greatest entitlements in life.
I'm going to claim each and every one.
posted by paul at 11:11 AM
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