There is always someone richer. There is always someone with a nicer car. Who cares?

You were there with your 15 year old son, a son who sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders. Sounds like a good parent or two might have had something to do with that.

I'll take a man who spends the day with this son over some braggart with an expensive toy.

Thank you, I am quite proud of how he is "coming together" and finding himself. I could not wait for the day when he was old enough to share playing car with me.

We found out this event is kart friendly so we will probably be taking his up next time.

We are taking off for Atlantis on Friday, a walk through the marina adjusts what your perception of wealth really is. Yachts as expensive as small countries all over the place, you realize what true wealth is.

How long are you staying?

It's obvious the guy remembers you from a competitive standpoint. He wants you to feel bad. I think the best thing you could do is ignore him completely.

Hi, Jim!


I apologize; I didn't read all three pages, but I was thinking.

If you see him again all you need to do is show him a picture of your wife. GAME, SET, MATCH.:cool:

He might just be more successful than you. He may have more money and maybe he does run a heck of a company. He may have a great wife and kids and maybe he does op debt free. He could have "THE" perfect life...

except one thing...

He demonstrated poor form in talking to you. Form is THE most important thing, more so than fame, money and power.

Jim you've got a hot wife?? That *****head is probably gay!! You win!!! LOL

We will be there for almost a week, we are staying in a timeshare.

Honestly, when he knew me, I was just starting out, come to think about it, your probably right, there was some hubub between the partners about who was getting me, his eventual boss found me but the other guy stole me away, so maybe he heard about that.

Its funny how excited an employer gets over an applicant that comes in with a coherent resume and suit and tie on.



LOL!! I'll pass that along.


Well, I can say this, at my peak I was running 4 crews and it was insanity. He was running 18 crews, and now I am down to 2 crews he is still running 8.

BUT, he has partners, I am solo, but, with that much work it is reasonable for him to be able to pay cash for a 200K car.

It was the way he came across that rubbed me wrong, but hell, if I had a Ford GT I think I may be busting at the seams as well.

Ever hear the joke about the guy who was shipwrecked with a supermodel? He ends up banging her and then asks her to dress up like a guy, she thinks he is gay, but does it, once she is dressed as a guy he grabs her by the arm and says "Hey dude!! Your never gonna guess who I am sleeping with".


Its sort of like that, here he is hanging out with a bunch of guys he knows can appreciate the car and he is probably busting at the seams about his car.

It still bothered me somewhat but maybe its my problem not his.

Don't worry about it, Jim.

Treasure what you have. All of it ;)



KT

After reading this entire thread I just looked up success in the dictionary.... there's a picture of you right there Jim!! The douche-bag wasn't mentioned.

Ha, ha.

Jim,
The real reason for your post was because of "how this made you feel", no?
I was parked at a gas station last fall when a guy pulled in with his GT, man that is a sweet car, that would make anyones heart pump.

That's a quote from one of the books I read recently. fwiw, but when I read it, it made me think.

Another one that I've chimed off with here and there is....
I wouldn't give this another thought, you are not in the same league as the douche-bag. From the sounds of it, if you're looking to compare yourself to someone, you should be looking at examples of good parents and not guys that buy expensive toys?

Go hug your kid and count your blessings; you'll feel better in the morning.

:D:D:D

Reminds me of this one:

A guy shows up in Catholic confession. He tells the priest, "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. Last night I had sex with two blond 18 year olds, identical twins actually, huge tits, etc. It was incredible."

The Priest is a little flustered, but manages to ask, "When was your last confession?"

The guy answers, "Never. I'm Jewish."

Priest: "Maybe you should talk to your Rabbi about this."

"I did."

"So what are you telling me for?"







"I'm telling everyone!" :D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat3.gif

Jim,

You have two ears for many reasons, but the main one is to filter crap and air it out the other side.

Seriously, if I were to get jealous of every fuchwad w/ a lot of $$ or an expensive whip in L.A., I would have hung myself 10k times by now. When I see someone driving a $200k car here, (every day of my life), I do not admire them or envy them because: A) There is an excellent chance that they made the $$ some sketchy way, and/or B) They did not make it at all. Someone else did. I do feel a slight twinge when someone has the exact same (excellent) ;) taste as me, though, and is driving a brand new black/black 430 Modena coupe.

"Never equate money with success. There are many people who are big earners that are miserable failures as human beings."

That's from a very smart list of aphorisms taped to the inside of my medicine cabinet.

I had some bad sushi last night on Sunset Plaza, which is a collection of shops and outdoor cafes on the Sunset Strip. I very rarely sit down at one of those places but I was with some friends that wanted sushi and by bad luck we wound up there. It's famous for eurotrash and Russians showing off their expensive cars; there was a Mercedes-McClaren SLR and a Maybach parked front and center, plus a new Lambo Spyder, etc.

By chance, one of my dinner companions was from a pretty wealthy family. His GGF founded Standard Oil. He was wearing a beat-up leather jacket and arrived on his MC. He looked at the McLaren and said, "we're near a lot of really awful people right now." :D

A man's true wealth is judged by what his family remembers when he's gone. Everything else is inconsequential.

All of the above....

Plus there is no such a thing as a 2003 Ford GT.... so he does not even appreciate what he has.

It sounds to me as if he wanted to show off with you.... As Rob said above it's very poor form. I would not think abt it, as our material possessions are not really what defines our success in life.

I thought about this as I rode by bike to work this morning. Here is what I have come up with:

First of all all the name calling going on here is sort of on the same level as he is on. Poor form. Myself included.

I am not envious of him personally, I have no clue what his life is like, I know I have a great wife and kids and that alone is worth more than any material wealth.

Deep down I know I have been through some really bad setbacks in the last 4 years. The biggest mistake I made was moving my office in 2004, that move started a slippery slope that once I settled down to the office I am in now, cost me in excess of $75,000. I have lost in excess of $60,000 to deadbeat clients over the last 5 years.

Do you see where this is going?

Go to the thread about loaning money, when business was good for me I was overly generous. I wanted everyone working for me to be part of the success, I drafted up a WEEKLY bonus program that was getting all my employees $200-$400 a WEEK extra in their checks. I did this for one year then discovered it was wreaking havoc on payroll and my accountant begged me to stop, so I gave everyone a $300 a week raise and stopped it. I cannot count how much money went on that deal. I never had a problem finding good help though so it was worth it in my book.

One employee, was special, he could not manage money, when I finally fired him, believe it or not, he became a very poor worker and was doing damage to me. I lent/gave him $35,000.

I have probably lent another 15-20K that was never paid back over that same 5 year period.


There was a nice GT3 or Ford GT.

The moving of the office, I moved because my rent went up 50%, I was mad and moved to a bigger office, the hurricanes hit and I lost the new office that I spent 15-20K remodeling to roof came off.

The old office was fine.

I bought a small house at the top of the bubble and moved my office in, then 1 year later the city told me to get out or else, I sold it for a $50K loss. Then I moved to a really nice office but spent in excess of 10K remodeling it. 2 years later I could not longer afford the rent and now I am in the same style office I was in 4 years prior. A big circle that should have never been.

So maybe its not the dude that bothering me maybe because he was int he same business it was sort of a shock to my system as I realized just how bad these hurricanes set me back. Ford GT guy lives in an area that was not impacted from the storms. I had 3 hit me on the chin.

Matteo - It was the first year of the Ford GT the 2003 was my guess based on a google search it was whatever year is the first year run of the car.

Matteo has a set of cars that would make most of us drool and even more admirable imo is his perspectrive about "what really matters". Jim, all in all, I'd say you're doing pretty dang well despite your recent setbacks. Don't sweat the little stuff (like this guy). If you and your son (great perspective he has BTW) are around him again, don't give him a second thought and talk about karting together or something. The guy probably won't understand, and even if he does...so what :)!

Jim do not underestimate what you did here... You changed the lives of a few people. You can't put it on the same level of a GT3 or FGT.

The Ford GT as nice as it is is just a car. And you can't even drive it as it is meant to be driven. It's a possession, a trophy to show off. It is sad when people let these things define them.

This is now the Ford GT guy. Imagine how sad. Nothing else. It would be my worst nightmare... meeting someone and be remembered as the Ford GT guy.

You don't want to be like that. You want to be that "fool" Jim that helped a guy out , the boss that made his workers happy with bonuses every week, the guy that in the RX7 kicked ass in autoX.

Also do not let the things that happen to you in life define you. Those things you cannot control. It is how you respond and react to the misfortunes that make up who you are.

Again I would rather be remembered by what I have done rather than what happened to me.

Human nature to be competitive! You were at a track. He is in the same field and was driving a nice car. You were being normal.

Matteo - I never harp on these setbacks, but I have to admit they took a front seat after seeing what could have been. Normally I just chalk it up to a lesson learned and move on, I am pretty young at 42 and have many good years out in front of me.

I do not want a Ford GT because of its status, and honestly if I was facing actual ownership I might decline. I like the car based purely on its performance numbers and because Jeremy Clarkson has one (Joking). Same goes for any high end car I just like the performance numbers and would love to take a car like that to its limits.

I like cars, period, it was so funny that he also had a Cobra because I was just talking with my son about looking for one next year if things work out good, again only if I can pay cash for it I will not finance toys.

Oh and another waste of money I failed to mention, my RX7 lets just say for what I have dumped into it over the last 8 years I could be driving a new Z06 Vette, but it would be slower. ;) Plus I created my RX7 and turned it into the monster it is today that makes it more special than any car you can write a check for in my book.

I'll buy you a drink, then you can go back to the wife and kids and fuggetaboutit. Tuesday, I think, cruise will be in port (and we'll be takin the kid to the dolpin thing...)