Blessed and Grateful: A Journey Through the Automotive Culture

BLESSED AND THANKFUL

Before we get started, I want to say that I understand this is a diesel magazine, however, for all intents and purposes, this editorial may span slightly outside of just that narrow subset of the automotive culture, and really could be said about any bit of the automotive scene. When I look back at all my years spent and all of the people I’ve met, one of the biggest things that keeps me connected to people is the automotive culture. Whether you’re into diesel drag racing, sled pulling, making crazy horsepower on the dyno, massive lifted show trucks on 16-inch wides, or even just having a functional but good-looking daily driver, the passion of the automotive culture continues to bring people together from all walks of life across every demographic and every culture that I’ve ever seen.

When I reflect on where I am in life and the things I’ve done, I realize that I’m extremely blessed. Blessed to have met so many great people, blessed to have experienced so many cool things like Ultimate Callout Challenge, or some of the big truck shows like Lone Star Throwdown. I’m blessed to have made some friends from all walks of life with all sorts of interests and people that I talk to on a regular basis from all over the United States of America and Canada. I’m blessed to be surrounded by people that not only encourage me to be the best creator, author, photographer, and otherwise general human being that I can be, but also people that inspire me not only creatively, but professionally, and personally as well. People that don’t treat each other as competition, but rather encourage and inspire everyone around them to be the best they can be every day and to never stop growing, no matter the circumstances.

Maybe that’s what it’s all about—people who understand what it’s like to be an enthusiast. People who  can relate to eating ramen for a week so you can buy that last part for your build. People who understand you’d rather spend your weekends on the road instead of at home or at the track when it’s 100 degrees outside and you’re simultaneously getting sunburnt and dehydrated, all while the sound of roaring engines and tires scream around you. People who want nothing more than to beat you in whatever competition that you’re participating in, but also the folks that would stay up all night helping you tear an engine out so you can compete the next day. People who just plain get it.

Either way, one thing is for sure—I’m thankful as heck for this journey. I’ve met some incredible people along the way, made some lifelong friends and experienced some of the coolest stuff that I could ever imagine in my life. I know the journey so far is just beginning, and I’m excited to see where it takes us.  The best part is we’re going to do it together.

Dustin AKA @Dusti_LBZ