May 10th, 2010 / 3 Comments » / by Quinny
It isn’t the first time I’ve been asked this question, and I don’t anticipate it being the last either. So this is me explaining it.
On the left is Napoleon. He is a 2003 Renault Scenic Privilege. He is awesome and the only thing more awesome than him is the Aston Martin future me owns. The next picture is Edward. Named after Eddie .T. Head of Iron Maiden fame. He was a Peugeot 206 LX. He was also awesome, but not as awesome as Napoleon. That is also my Dad. He’s a Mark 1, top of the range father, 1950′s vintage. He is also awesome, but he’s not a car (he does have a name though – he’s called Frank).
I name my cars because I believe you need to have a relationship with the car like you would another person. Don’t do something to the car that you wouldn’t think of doing to another person. Keep the car clean, respect it, only do things to it that you know are within the capabilities of the car. Only ever ask more from it when the situation absolutely requires it.
You must also know and understand your car. Lashing it around corners when it’s not built for it or driving it with the needle in the red as the engine screams is not good, and your car will hate you for it. Same at the other side, don’t damage your car by only ever driving it at 30mph, or constantly in second gear. In the same way a person needs exercise so does your car, take it down a motorway once a week so the engine has time to warm up. If a car does nothing but short drives before the engine warms up you’ll do more harm than good. Regular checks under the bonnet and under the car will help it as well.
Feed your car only the best. I know we have a penchant for the fast food of this world, because it’s cheap and convenient. It’s the same for cars. You’re driving down the road late at night and the little orange light turns on next to the fuel indicator. Or if you’re me it’s a red one and the car beeps loudly at you. Your only option is to pull over at the next petrol station and fill up (who really knows how much is in their reserves when the light comes on?). You only have a few notes on you, or a credit card that you don’t want to spend on so you pick the cheapest pump and have at it.
Napoleon is a diesel so I don’t really have much choice other than, well, diesel. When I had Eddie though, I had super this and four star that. I made the best choice for me at the time, but Eddie didn’t mind the cheap stuff, the engine got a regular dose of cleaning fluid and had a top off of oil. So even if I did eat the fast food I made sure it was supplemented with vitamins and good exercise.
Cars need names. They are not just machines, they are the vehicle that will take your brother to A&E because he poked his eye out with a spike, they’re the shelter for when you get locked out of the house in the middle of winter, they are in a rising number of cases a place for someone to live. They are an extension of you and part of you. Treat them with respect and dignify them with a name.
I’m not just a person, I’m Rachel Quinn. My car isn’t just a Renault, he’s Napoleon.
Posted in: driving, life
Tags: car, driving, life
May 7th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Quinny
The very fact I’m writing this means I’m not writing what I’m meant to be writing. I’m also sure I had something more exciting to tell you (you, being the million people that read this, yo).
I have added another page in addition to my photography, and it’s called The List. This is something that was constructed so I had a better idea of what I was looking for in a man. It is subject to change.
Much like in the film Practical Magic this list is to serve as a way of protecting me from ever actually finding a man. If he meets and accepts the criteria in the list then he is a soul mate and someone that I will invariably fall in love with. Which just won’t do because that will then also lead up to having my heart broken and that sucks big hairy balls. So having a list that defines what I consider a perfect man and therefore a man that doesn’t exist means I will never fall in love.
That and I don’t do sharing so heaven only knows how I will manage in a relationship.
Posted in: website
Tags: website
May 6th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Quinny
Dear Speshul Snowflake,
It’s 2010 and everything I do, say, create, listen to, read or wear is dictated by society. I have nothing against this actually as society is something that makes humans different from other species on this planet. It’s our ability to co-exist for our mutual benefit which makes us unique. You cannot ignore society or fail to be influenced by it. The only way you can is by existing on your own, completely untouched by anything and being influenced by nothing. However as a human we are exhibitionists by our very nature and complete seclusion from society is something no one will obtain willingly.
Society can be defined as humanity itself or the smaller subcultures that we live in. I have been part of York society, London, rural Wales and Cork society. I’ve also been member of societies such as the YHA and the LDWA. So we’re not constrained by just being human, but also by the sub-societies we are part of. Be those city, country or household.
Society isn’t a bad thing. I don’t understand people who think being social, socialising or society are negatives. These don’t mean you have to fight for your right to be an individual; you’re never going to be one unless you’re in a society of one of course. People who try too much to be different, to not conform to the norm are really just highlighting the fact that they’re just the same as everyone else. Your actions of trying to be different have just slotted you into the society of people who try too hard. Unfortunately it’s a part of society that most other people shun because the members are either too annoying, too much like hard work or just very difficult to get along with.
This part of society can sometimes be referred to as the Speshul Snowflakes. I’m sure we’ve all had dealings with them in the past and they’re usually just within the secondary school age range. People who always have to outdo the next person and I don’t mean just by buying a more expensive computer, pair of shoes or mobile phone. They’re sometimes compulsive liars or people that construct their own reality in order to come across as someone unique and special.
Being constantly on the defensive, adding conflict or just the act of always trying to be different just puts you firmly in the “people we don’t associate with/talk to anymore” bucket. Society doesn’t want or need this. It goes against the very ideals of society in that you are purposefully not trying to co-exist for our mutual benefit. You are, essentially, a speed bump on the road to progression.
Then they might argue that being part of society is hard, or my very nature of being a loner means I can’t be part of society. You’re on the internet, reading this, responding to emails, or indeed ‘tweeting’ you are in fact part of society, albeit modern society. Being a loner just means you can’t deal with people in a conversational manner not humanity in general. And that just equals socially backward.
It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve met a socially backward adult though, in fact I know someone who even fits the Speshul Snowflake category as an adult. It makes me wonder how people think being like this at their age is anything to be proud of or indeed tell people about like it’s some sort of achievement. They of course will say it’s an illness or something we should all feel sorry for them about, but not really. They need to learn that it’s immature of them to be this way. You don’t have to be different to be accepted in society. Doing that just makes us all roll our eyes and slowly move away from you and find excuses not to bring certain things up in conversation, until we stop talking all together.
You can be an individual but to be different just to draw attention to your self and the lack of individual qualities you have isn’t a good idea. Once people like this learn to accept that they are really only one in a few billion then coping with being part of a society and interacting with other humans will come easy. I for one find it incredibly insulting to be looked at as if I’m under a microscope, or I’m some puzzle to figure out. Indeed even have my actions assessed and my motivations predicted annoy me. Stop looking at me and turn your attention to yourself. To your sheltered, mentally unprepared self. I’m not a lesser being than you because I’m normal, or because I have a social life of my own construction. The fact that you have a list of childhood achievements longer than my arm mean nothing to me or anyone else. It might be unfortunate that something might have happened to you in younger life to change who you are today but as an adult is it really something that hard to change?
Maybe this really is a case for therapy, and it might be nice to have some experience and education behind me so I can actually comment on it as a mental case, but I don’t. Right now I am a normal member of society, making friends, having life experiences and finding myself dealing with people that don’t know how to cope in the world they’ve had ample time to get used too. I can’t teach this sort of stuff, you just have to get out of your shell and do it. Or at least get out of your superiority complex and actually accept the fact that your are normal and like the rest of us.
With fond (but not inappropriate) regards,
Quinny
Posted in: life, the internets, the world
Tags: life, the internets
This is a blog about what I experience every day but not about personal matters. For that you just have to know me in real life and listen to me rant.
