Enthusiastic Enthusiast

For years I have been part of many different communities, that are filled with patient, and well informed members. Sneaker heads who could tell you the significance of the pair on your feet in heart beat. Watch collectors who can tell you the story behind every watch being worn in the room. Cigar aficionados who can find the smallest hint of a note in every puff in a cigar, Car enthusiasts who can fix, maintain, and understand every part of a car in front of them. Each has a part of my life, but the beauty of these communities is always tarnished and usually can lead to members to stop even caring about the thing that bonds them so closely.

Let’s take it one enthusiast community at a time and start with the sneaker world. When it comes to sneaker heads in all honesty its all about the hype, granted it is the same with most enthusiast communities, but when it comes to the sneaker heads its strictly about the hype. The rise and fall of Airmax’s, Off-White and Nike collars, Dad shoes, Nike SB, Jordan 1’s and so many different rise and fall of these sneakers are all down to hype. Sadly, in these communities if you’re not wearing what is in right now, you’re deemed to not understand the culture. While in reality almost every sneaker holds a piece of history. Let’s take the rise and fall of Airmax. These sneakers have maintained a foot in the sneaker culture for more than 30 years. Collaboration with different designers over the past decades and staying true to its impact on the world. Yet, now a days if you end up wearing a pair, and head to a sneaker meet, you seem like an outsider because of the others belittling the impact that these sneakers have on the culture. This is something I’ve personally experienced even when though the sneakers were released the day before. If it isn’t hype, you ain’t part of the culture.

When it comes to the watch community it get even worse because a watches value isn’t in the joy it brings to the wearer, but its strictly about the price that’s slapped on the watch. There are three significant types of watch collectors and enthusiasts. The Reseller, who strictly purchases watches as an investment and not out of love for the watch. Only looking at the watch as a stock and studying the market to make a healthy profit on resale. Then you have the hype watch collector, anything in style, Rolex, Patek Philippe Nautilus, and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, are the true forms of watches in their collection. Then you have the watch enthusiasts, where all, shapes, names, prices and designs are welcome into the collection. To the both the reseller and the hype collector, the watch enthusiast is someone who is a who cant comprehended what they perceive as the true value of a watch, the status and price. When in reality the watch enthusiasts most of the time values the story behind every piece and the emotion it brings. Personally I enjoy wearing my Casio Calculator watch as much as I enjoy wearing my Zenith Defy Classic, because its not the price of the watch it’s the story behind it. Every watch I own from my collection is one sparks some kind of emotion in me, has a story, and just feels right on my wrist.

The car community is a bit more forgiving at times. Respect is not usually gained by the badge on the steering wheel, but on the engineering or effort put into the build. What many don’t understand, is just because you drive a certain car, you shouldn’t be looked down upon when you go to a car meet. Everyone is in some way or form connected to their car. It’s a part of their personality, not just a form of transportation. Picking the right model, the right specs, the color that makes you look back after you park. Sadly, at many car meets, if you pull up in a car that doesn’t have over 500 horsepower, or in something extremely modified, you’re seen as someone who doesn’t understand the community. By just attending these events and meets that alone should be more than enough to be part of the community.

What I am trying to get at is simple. If someone finds joy, pride, or a sense of belonging to any community they are in, the sense of belittlement and putting down of someone based on what they find joy in is sad. It says a lot about the type of person that does that. In return for this action, a person may feel like they aren’t welcome into a community they are passionate about. Saving up to purchase your first proper watch after falling in love with the watch world, only to have someone lose interest due to the feeling of not belonging. Which is something I personally have felt, the alienation of an enthusiasts makes it seem that their passion has to be tied to the money they spend into their hobby. Then you have the type of people who will welcome you with open arms, regardless of what others in the certain enthusiast community you’re a part in, and that friendship or bond is something that can never be broken. Help each other grow and find their joy, rather than tearing off their wings and not allowing them to fly towards their passions.