I was 18, and looking forward to studying engineering at university. So when a friend mentioned the chance to visit their cousin‘s workshop where they ‘souped up’ cars, I grabbed it.
Entering the workshop was teenage heaven: the roar of engines being tuned, the smell of oil and wax and petrol, the gleam of fancy paint jobs, the sparkle of shiny chrome. Amazing. I was in awe.
As I struggled to take my eyes off the wonders around me, I asked my friend’s cousin, “Where do you start?”. His answer floored me.
“With the brakes.”
I stared at him open mouthed.
“You never make anything go faster until you know it can stop,” he said.
Bang. At that point I realised I was in the presence of a real professional.
As I’ve shared this story over the years, I often find myself adding other experiences from my years of driving; slowing down to get around the corners; finding neutral so that I can wait until I’m ready and it’s safe to go; and the essential need for a reverse gear so that I can get out of tight spaces and don’t waste time in a dead end.
And that for me these lessons weren’t just about driving.