I understand where all of you younger guys are coming from. Life happens, and with jobs, mortgages, children and so on, it makes more and more difficult to go. My advice is this. Live the dream. If only in small doses, live the dream. When my kids were young, but old enough, I used to take them. I was able to fuse my love of camping and hiking, with my love of wheeling and spending time with my kids. Jobs came, and went, kids grew up. Wives came... and went. But, my love of wheeling got stronger. My knowledge of builds, my skills, my love of being "out there" still continues today. In 2007, while at The Dixie Run, I got sick, went to hospital, had a heart attack. But I went back to camp, took one day off from wheeling, and then wheeled some more. A few weeks later, I had 5 by pass heart surgery. IN less than 30 days after surgery, I was back on the trail in Mountain City, wheeling in the cold. By that time I had built a base of friends where as all I had to do was be able to load my Jeep, Turn the key and point it in the direction of the trails, my friends took care of the rest. In 2012, I found out my then wife was cheating, while I was away wheeling at The Gulches. I continue to wheel. About 5 years ago, I helped form a Wheelin club. I was able and blessed to be able to turn my passion into something even more. I wheel, and help, with many more beside me, individuals, organizations, children. We have raised 10's of thousands of dollars helping people, and, we still wheel. Also back in 2012, I injured my knee in a work accident, but, I wasn't long in getting back in my Jeep. Even short time of going to an event on a cane. Still today, it's a chore to get in and out of The Jeep. But I don't stop, or maybe I should say, I won't stop. It is what drives me. I am much closer to most of my wheeling family, than I am to most of my family. I have found that Karma, doesn't have to be which bites you in the ass, but more so, Karma is what happens when you break, and your friends dive in and fix you, so you can continue. I'd like to think, most of them like me, maybe even love me, as much as I do them. Truth be told, they wanna wheel and if they wait on me to fix it, it's gonna be a while. Slowly. ever soooo slowly, I have progressed from wheeling what I drive, to a trailer queen. Driving it to and from the trails, to pulling it. I started out towing with my old Jeep truck, sleeping in a tent or in the back of the truck, to a van tow rig, then an old RV, then to a pop up, and now a class C RV. I have went from bone stock to a somewhat modified Jeep. Now do I live in the greatest of homes? Nope, but it's paid for. So I drive the nicest Buggy, nope, but it's paid for. Do I eat as my dad would say, "high on the hog"? Nope, only had bacon twice this year, and both times, I was wheeling. I am slowing a lot in these past years. But I won't stop, until I stop. ON my tombstone I don't want it to read, here lies Chip, he worked a lot and made a lot of money. I want it to read, here lies Chip, he had a blast! He was a good man, a good friend, and a good father and G-Paw. If it says that, it will have been a good life!
wheel on!
Truth be told, we try to make a couple trips a year even if it's just to pick up trash. I've robbed so many parts from our "wheeling jeep" it's been dubbed the wagon & rendered immobile (it makes for a beautiful lawn ornament though).
