I stumbled across this post the other day and it really made me stop and think. It really does sum up what MINI ownership can do to a person. It was posted by MINIBee and I think it is great!
Before my MINI, I didn’t enjoy driving my car. It wasn’t that it was a bad car (1998 Honda CRV) it just wasn’t a fun car and it was just my transportation for a 60-mile round trip commute. I was always in a bad mood when I drove the CRV. In the MINI, however, it’s really hard to be in a bad mood. And a better mood has caused me to be a better person.
For instance…
I go out of my way to let people change lanes and cut into traffic. I only honk my horn when I’m saying high to another MINI owner (or in a true emergency). I don’t swear as much and I don’t bite my nails when I’m in traffic. When I see a parked MINI I always stop so I can put a Sunshine MINIs card or a MINI Motoring Citation on their windshield. When I come out of a store to find a person with their face pressed to the glass of my MINI, I politely answer their questions and have even let some people sit in the car to have their picture taken.
When you drive a MINI it’s like wearing a Santa suit. Everyone smiles and waves. I know because I have now done both (and maybe I’ll do both at the same time some day!).
But that’s all the superficial stuff. Today my MINI motivated me to do something I should have been doing all along.
My family and I participated in the Coastal Cleanup today in Tampa and we picked up six bags of trash. Originally I signed up so I could get my Motoring Hearts badge. But really, the badge doesn’t matter to me anymore. I spent quality time with my family for a worthy cause today and that was the true reward. It will be the first of many things we will do like this.
I know of no other auto manufacturer that sets out to motivate their owners to do more for their communities. Sure, it might be part of the ad campaign but so what? It works. So thanks for that MINI.
I’m sure many in the MINI Nation have similar stories and it would be great to hear them.
Have fun out there everyone!
You can find the post on NAM and SunshineMINIs.org and read all the responses it has generated at the following 2 links:
If you’re a listener of Whiteroof Radio, you should go back to Woofcast #65 and give it a second listen. I’m sure you’d appreciate its relevancy to this post.
Yep – exactly. Episode 65 nails this right on the head! Good memory dude!
My MINI is the first car payment that I don’t mind making each month. I consider it my entertainment budget.
So now that I think of it, by combining a car payment and an entertainment bill, I’m actually saving money each month! Woohoo!
I believe owning my MINI has
created a ‘better’ me..!!! I
previously owned an ’02 VW
Super Beetle GLS..everybody
would say..”Oh..you look sooo
cute in that BUG..!!”….I
just didn’t ‘feel it’..it was
an OK sort of car..but..my
heart just yearned for a
MINI..I’de be drivin’ my BUG
and see a MINI pass by and
just about drive off the road
…I’de imagine how it would
feel to be driving that MINI
..sooo…I’de put on my right
signal and move over to let
that speedier car pass by.!!!
THAT was THEN…NOW I live
my DREAM..!!!