I’m sure most everyone, on occasion, comes to the realization that changes have to be made in their lives. Eventually, most of us learn that adjustments are necessary along the way. What once felt right, for some reason, can feel not so right anymore.
However, we also learn how difficult it is to let go of something that once was an important part of one’s life. And, it can’t be forced. We have to be ready to let go, before it can truly happen. What follows is a story of something that was a part of my life and my realization it was time for me to let it go.
For context, I’ll provide some background.
Setting It Up
When I was a child, some of my uncles (on my mother’s side), built a race car to run on the local dirt track. It was a natural thing for them to do because they were always working on cars that had been wrecked or had quit running. So they built a stock car and went racing, and they became quite good at it, winning races and championships. We used to go to the races to watch them pretty much every Saturday night during the summer.
I liked watching the race cars go ‘round and ‘round, and found that after I turned 16, I liked driving fast cars. But I never got into my family’s racing thing. I was into the stick and ball sports and couldn’t have cared less about working on cars. I was fine with being on the outside looking in when it came to my racing family.
Filling It Out
After I grew up and moved away, I did not pay much attention to auto racing for a while, until ESPN started televising NASCAR races regularly. Specifically, I became a fan after future NASCAR Hall of Famer, Bill Elliott, burst on to the scene. He and his brothers built a race team in the northern Georgia hills to go racing with the likes of Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, and Cale Yarborough.
Bill Elliott spent his first few years as a field-filler, not really having a chance of winning against the well-funded big names of the sport. But, the team kept working at it and began to get better and better. Then, seemingly all of a sudden, they started winning races. They had figured something out and their Ford Thunderbird began to dominate on the superspeedways of NASCAR.
I was watching on TV when Bill Elliott put on the most amazing show I’ve ever seen in auto racing. It was the Winston 500 at NASCAR’s biggest and fastest track, Talladega. On lap 48 of the scheduled 188 laps, Bill’s Thunderbird started smoking badly. I thought his motor had “blowed up”, in NASCAR parlance. Bill drove into his pit stall and the crew popped the hood. They discovered the motor had not blown up, but an oil line fitting had broken. The crew quickly fixed the problem and Bill got back out there. But he was nearly two laps behind at big, bad Talladega, and it seemed his chances of winning were gone.
However, Bill’s car was so much faster than everyone else’s, he caught up to, and drove through the field, passing the current leader of the race to get back on the same lap. Then, as the race continued, he drove away from the leader, came all the way around the 2.66 mile superspeedway and drove through the field again, passed the leader again on lap 145 to take the lead and won the race going away. This fantastic feat was accomplished without the aid of a caution flag, which would have allowed Bill to catch up when the field slowed. It was spectacular to see on TV and it helped fuel a boom in popularity for NASCAR.
As my fandom grew, attending a big-time race in person seemed like it would be a lot of fun. I wasn’t making a lot of money, but eventually, I was able to attend one or two races a year around the country. I was lucky enough to see Bill win in person at Michigan and Phoenix. I twice made the pilgrimage to his hometown, Dawsonville, Georgia to visit his racing complex and museum. I even bought a new red Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, the street car on which Bill’s race car was based.
I was all in.
I continued to follow Bill’s career, celebrating his wins, of course, but still supporting him through the hard times when the winning stopped. Bill Elliott was my guy. And, when he retired, a lot of my interest in racing retired, too. Oh, I still watched races on TV sometimes, but it wasn’t the same.
Then, a few years after Bill hung up his helmet, his youngest child, Chase, became a NASCAR driver, so I started following his career. It wasn’t with same fervor as when his dad was in his heyday, but I did feel like a fan again.
Changing It Up
Recently though, it all came to an abrupt end. I learned that the Elliotts were supporters of the current occupant of the White House. I mean, I kind of suspected as much. Many NASCAR people had voiced support for the Lying Liar in the past and gushed over him when he would spend millions of taxpayer dollars to attend a race. It wasn’t a big leap to believe many of them are full blown MAGAs. And, it’s entirely possible that I did not want to know who supported whom so I wouldn’t have to deal with it.
But, getting confirmation of my favorite racers supporting that addlebrained criminal was too much for me to bear at this point in my life. I gave my Chase Elliott shirt to Goodwill, and though I still like seeing the race cars go ‘round and ‘round, I won’t watch NASCAR anymore. The decision was made quickly, but not lightly.
It was time for me to let go. So, I did.
I do have questions in search of answers, though. Should I allow the alleged politics of a sport’s participants drive me away from a sport I truly enjoyed for many years? Am I going to apply the same kind of litmus test to baseball players or football players or actors or musicians or business people or aunts, uncles, and cousins? Am I going to reject and remove from my life anything or anyone tainted by MAGA?
Honestly, I don’t know how to answer those questions.
Finishing It Off
I guess for right now, I’ll deal with any possible situations as they occur. I am not going to start interrogating everyone I know on their politics, weeding out those who have beliefs different from my own. I am not going to scour the internet, doggedly searching for any hints of MAGA-itis infecting my favorite actors, athletes, and musicians. I believe it is wrong to support a criminal President, but really, who am I to be judging anybody?
On the other hand, I’m going to be true to my beliefs. I am not going to ignore any relevant information that comes to my attention, and I’ll do what I think is best on a case by case basis. That’s about all I can commit to right now.
It is obvious I write The Storm. By Norm with a distinct point of view, however, I would like to believe I do not force my politics on anyone. This forum is where I express my views for all the world to see. I’m not forcing anyone to read it.
When meeting someone in person, I do not hide my politics, but I only share when someone else brings it up. I rarely volunteer information.
I do not hate Bill and Chase Elliott for being supporters of the Criminal-in-Chief. I realize we all have differing opinions on a multitude of subjects. We each have to decide how important those differences are to us. Fandom is a choice everyone makes.
I wish the Elliotts well. I’m not going to be a fan of them anymore, though.
I’m pretty darn sure they’ll be fine without me.
That’s okay. I’ll be fine, too.
To my taint-free subscribers, thank you for your support.
And, don’t be afraid to scroll to the bottom and hit that Like button! (But, only if you really mean it.)
Do you have something to say about Tainted by MAGA? Well, then . . .
Thank you for this. I have some friends who are MAGA and I don’t bring up politics with them.
To answer your question - I’ll never see a Mel Gibson film again, but I felt that way years before MAGA took over our country.
I have dropped friends who are MAGA folks but only because they were relentless about it and did their best to “own” me.
It’s up to each individual person, I guess.
If I have any MAGA 'friends' I don't know it. I do know that my very close friends, and I have very few of those, are not MAGA 'cause I need someone to vent with once in a while. I really don't know how they can follow this man, or this MAGA=Q Cult. It is the opposite of everything I believe in all these many years on this earth. I can't respect anyone who doesn't respect nature, or animals, and of course, people. I can't respect bullies, and I believe that is who most of them are, as well as lawless that puts us all in danger when they are around. When I'm at my favorite pub I listen to what the boys are talking about when they come in from their golf games. I have to admit I'm listening to hear if they are talking politics. Actually, they never seem to and that pleases me. I did see one who wore the forbidden Red Cap and I found I couldn't even look in his direction. It's repulsive to me, actually. They seem to be digging deeper holes for themselves, perhaps on their way to Hell, I believe.