Uncompromising

Life is full of compromises, whether it is a financial decision or conceding to your significant other’s demands and putting on that awful argyle sweater vest; compromises.

But, life is short as well, so it is really conflicting and complex issue to deal with. Something that can cause you turmoil or stress, or for some, excitement. Off-roading, overlanding, rock crawling—all of our favorite off-road sports are not cheap hobbies by any measure of the word. Machines are expensive, and being able to travel far enough away from home to enjoy them is expensive, as well.

A few years ago, I sold my beloved Wrangler in an effort to compromise on a few bullet points, when I knew from the get-go that this was not what I really wanted. I purchased a Toyota 4Runner and thought this was going to be my new venture forward in the off-road scene, and I was going to leave ‘childish’ things behind.

Long story short: It did not work out.

I have never been one to compromise, and this internal battle of trying to subdue my own honest thoughts had become the downfall of what I was trying to do. In other words, the suppression of my gut feelings came back to bite me. My 4Runner was not what I wanted, and it never would be. It was a good truck, but it was just not for me. There were not individual nitpicks of small issues, this was an overall thing. The 4Runner as a whole, was an entire compromise for me. Now that’s not saying it was not a good truck, it was. It was a fantastic vehicle and is immensely capable; it just did not fit the role I needed it to.

I went a different path, with an entirely different vehicle. One that after I did my homework, made the most sense, and now I’m totally happy and in a happy, long-term relationship with my new vehicle.

Now on the flip side of all that, SwellRunner battled this same internal conflict recently – the battle of ‘should he sell his vehicle or not.’ In the end, despite an overwhelmingly strong financial move, he decided not to sell it because the issues he faced were not something worth being uncompromised. The fine line of “Is it good enough?” or “Is it impossible to live with?” is one of life’s biggest struggles, and something only you can find the answer to.

 When making your decision on whether you should sell your vehicle for something else, or buying into your first off-road venture, compromise on what you can, but make sure you are happy in the end. This is our hobby, and what is a hobby if it does not make you happy?