This month’s editorial is going to go beyond the relationship of us in the customizing scene. With the recent loss of a true friend of over 10 years I have been thinking a lot about friendships, acquaintances, and extended networks. It got me thinking of when I first started coming on to Street Source, then Street Scene. To me it is amazing how so many different groups of people come together on one site and are able to get along with each other so well. Although there may be people on the site who may not care for others, the majority of the users get along with each other, and would go out of there way to help one another.
Unity is the key to keeping this sport alive. This is one of the few scenes where people from every race, color, and creed can get together and share a common interest without racial issues coming between them. Most people have heard of Street Source Magazine through word of mouth, or attending car shows and seeing stickers advertising the site so we have people from all types of backgrounds on here. I find it funny that most of the time the people you see hating on each other are the type of people who don’t go to shows, and don’t get out much. They are the ones who are barred from the scene only to site behind their computers and are “keyboard commandos.” I have heard of few people getting in fights over the Internet that actually amounted to something, and even less following through with their action.
It seems that the key to keep this sport around is that everybody needs to get along. Keep in touch with people. Go to shows and even if your not bringing your own ride, show enthusiasm towards the others in your seen to keep there spirits alive. We all know what its like to build a ride and go through the constant feelings of “when am I going to finish,” or “how can this take so long.” People need to step up to the plate and man up and squash all of the hating that has been going on. Yea a little healthy competition is always good, and always will be. But the whole idea of this is to help each other along our ways and push each other to go big. Which brings me back to the whole idea of the extended network of friends. 		Street Source Magazine gives you the opportunity to chat, and discuss with people around the world. It is one of the few sites where you can go online almost any day of the year and there is always somebody in chat, or in the forums posting. In fact, it is very rare that there isn’t a conversation going on in the forums. And when where is, the people involved are usually ready and willing to discuss with others. We all have a bond that brings us together and allows us to get along so well. This is a bond that continues to shows where we often meet new members, and bring new friends into our life.
This brings me to my final thoughts…. I remember one night I discussed with my girlfriend that if I ever passed away I wanted her to come onto Street Source Magazine and let all of my friends, fellow club members, and acquaintances know that I had passed on. I told her to let everybody know that I have had some of the best times of my life at some of the shows and get together’s related to the sport. She agreed because she knows how much I love being involved in this scene, and how I spend almost all of my time on Street Source Magazine. Since then I have gotten almost all of my friends to join the site and they have all created their own extended network of friends.
What I am trying to say is that, if we want this sport to last, and the scene to continue into our children’s era we need to start caring more about the others around us. Praise others for what they have done, not what they haven’t. Appreciate the help that you are given, whether it be physical help, or a explanation on how to solve a problem. We need to keep this scene alive and as much as we don’t think we do, we play a huge role in where this scene will be in the next 10, 20, and 30 years. Until next month remember, unity is the key. Stick together. Don’t always dawn on the bad, let things go over your head because most of the time the petty fights amount to nothing anyway. I know from experience, and I am sure that most of you do to, that there is nothing worse than loosing somebody close to you and not being able to let them know how much you cared for them.
Doug Large aka Douggie Fresh