Several weeks before Christmas, I had been for a run in the CBD of Melbourne and I happened to stop briefly and turned to my left...
That is when I saw it!
I almost lost my breath. I was in love, instantly! From first observation it was sleek by design, top of the range with all the bells of whistles. I took a closer look. My heart was racing. Everything about it was right: the colour, the style, the interior. It was the Kompressor. I have been in the market for a new car for quite some time (since I sold my last one to pay for my ridiculously high hotel bill at the Waldorf Astoria in New York when I was writing part of 209 A Story.) In that instant my life was changed.
So... I made a decision. Still wearing my sweaty running shorts and singlet, I decided to take it for a test drive. It was amazing. It was everything I thought it would be. All my initial impressions of it being smooth and comfortable were proven to be correct.
Like most males... I became obsessed by it. In my mind it was ‘my’ Kompressor.
I researched it on the internet. I spoke to my friends about it. I dreamed about it. Every few days I went to see it again. I learned that this particular model of (Mercedes-Benz SLK-class) Kompressor had only been in Australia for a few months – hence the reason I had not seen it before. It had been modified in Europe for the Australian conditions.
It became like a drug...
When I would wake up it was the first thing on my mind. I would smile as I fell to sleep when I would think about how beautiful the Kompressor was to me. Over the next few weeks, I drove it several times and each time I returned to my apartment in South Yarra, I would find myself in two minds. There was the rational mind of knowing that it too expensive and an unnecessary purchase at this point in my life... and then the irrational mind... that this vehicle was the most incredibly sexy thing I have ever driven. I was hooked.
More about this later...
With the year of 2009 being only a few days old, I am excited about what the next few months hold for the life of Steven Owen Rafter. Moving forward with the lists (re last blog entry) I made the decision to get a job. (I have spent the last year living on small tins of tuna at home, travelling the world and drinking too many cups of coffee at my favourite coffee shops.) I got on the internet applied for several positions, telephoned the recruitment agency and attended two interviews. I am happy to report that I commence my new role this coming Wednesday. This is my reality. I am back in the workforce and staying grounded and very much looking forward it.
All the while, like the proverbial wolf at the door, ‘my’ Kompressor was on my mind. I was seeing if I could afford it. It would be so cool driving it to work. I pictured myself travelling down the Great Ocean Road during the summer, hugging the corners and escaping the city for the tranquillity of the Giant Sequoia Forest near Apollo Bay.
Before I start my new job, I have been spending my days in contact with my PA, completing spreadsheets for my business manager, in contact with the web designers and also, organising guest lists for the launch. I have been running and going to my weekly boxing classes. I also began house sitting for a friend who is South Africa. I have been flat out... but there has been more going on than I thought.
A friend (who is an avid reader) called me up to let me know that he had ‘googled me’ (yes, it made me laugh) and that he saw ‘209 A Story’ and ‘Steven Rafter’ were being discussed in writer’s and book forums in various places around the world. He also told me that over 3000 people had read my last blog. (Btw... thank you all for your email. I think I have replied to them all now)... However, what he said next really did stop me in my tracks. He told me that he had seen ‘my’ Kompressor being test driven by someone else! :-(
So, as my new year begins with sooooo many exciting things happening, I am learning many lessons and refer to my ‘reality list’ constantly to keep me grounded.
And now, early on this sunny, Sunday morning... I smile... because... to get to my new job I am catching Public Transport. I found out that ‘my’ Kompressor is being shipped back to Europe. I could not afford it. And this was my lesson... Even though we don’t always get what we want in life, learning the lesson from the disappointments often make the way ahead clearer for a better tomorrow.
Have a nice week everyone.
Cheers
Steven
Steven
