TLDR: My wife and I just returned from the 29th Miatas at the Gap event in North Carolina. Please read on for a few thoughts about community and belonging.
The first Miata cars, also known as Mazda MX-5, were introduced to America in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show. It was released to the Public as the MX-5 NA Generation in 1990. Since then, more than a million Miatas have been sold in the United States becoming the best-selling roadster of all time (Car and Driver). Despite three full redesigns (NA Generation, NB Next Generation, and NC Generation) the car hasn’t changed much since its original release. What a score of special editions have done is to modernize technology and design to keep up with the times and to respond to customer demands. But, at heart, the car remains a small, sleek, fun roadster, with an incredible resale value, and a customer base that has remained loyal and committed to “Zoom-Zoom Culture” for 35 years.
There are hundreds of Miata clubs in North America, ranging from a few dozen drivers who get together for special drives and events, to well-organized membership-only, large clubs that put together impressive weekend shows and conventions around the country. One of the largest conventions is the Miatas at the Gap at the Fontana Village Resort, located in Fontana Dam, NC. The site is steps away from the legendary Tail of the Dragon, a county road with 318 curves in 11-miles, which is known as America's #1 sportscar and motorcycle road.
My wife and I took our NC Miata to Fontana Village this year. With twelve hundred Miatas registered and almost two-thousand people in attendance, the convention was truly a community of diverse people joined together by one common passion, the love they have for their cars. From brand new Miatas to First Generation originals, we saw MX-5 cars in all sorts of conditions, states of modification, colors, ages, and prices. As fascinating as it was listening to hundreds of men and women talk about the mechanics of their cars, I truly loved listening to some of their personal stories. It was obvious that some attended to see and be seen. Others, however, attended because they needed the community of like-minded people they have gotten to know since Fontana started hosting this event 29 years ago. The lively atmosphere resembled a county fair, with dozens of auto-parts and modification vendors, where the vehicles themselves provided most of the entertainment and the Village Restaurant kept everyone well-fed.
My wife is an extrovert who feels at ease in any social situation. I am an introvert for whom some social interactions can be a bit taxing, especially when I know nothing about the thing that brought the group together (in this case, Mazda MX-5 cars). Listening to various conversations, I detected a bit of a pattern. It usually took three questions for a person to disclose a story that provided some context for the reason they were attending the event. The question or request, “Tell me about your car” was often followed by “where are you from?” or “what do you do for a living?” Then invariably, “Is this your first time at this event?” At this point you would hear stories of grief, loss, joy, and newly found independence, (I just lost my wife to cancer, and she used to love coming to this event. I came in her memory… I have had my car since 1991, and it is time to get a newer Miata. This is our farewell trip before I say “goodbye” to the old girl… This is the first time in twenty years I come by myself. The wife and I just divorced, and I needed people around me. Can’t stand to be alone… My cancer is back, and I may not be around much longer. I decided to come before my health gets worse… I grew up as a passenger in this car and now I am old enough to drive it down these curves… Etc.)
We are all in need of a tribe, a group of people or community to which we belong and with whom we can be truly ourselves. Life is too hard to go at it alone. For these people, events like the Miatas at the Gap are an opportunity for fun, connection, and community building. Now, as I write this, I am fully aware that I am addressing myself as much as I am addressing you. I am prone to aloneness and lead a fairly private life outside of work. I value and cherish our life in community here at Saint Dunstan’s and truly miss you all when I am away. I also love the community I share with groups like Cursillo, Dominican Republic team, Clericus, and Seminary of the Southwest.
I encourage you to find your tribe. You are wonderfully made and there is a tribe to which you belong, both in terms of church and outside of church. Loneliness has become an epidemic in our society, and we must deal with it daily. Remember you are deeply loved.
May our Lord continue to bless you. Amen!
Fr. Roman+
