I've been manifesting (just about) everything I've ever wanted most of my life, I didn't understand how... until 2005.
I had just finished dinner (I don't recall the meal, but pizza is another one of my obsessions, so that would be a solid guess). I needed to run over to Costco to get something trivial. I somehow ended up down an isle with extremely realistic 1/32nd scale model cars. A 2005 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon strongly caught my attention. I've always thought Jeep's were cool - Jurassic Park helped fuel that. I don't know why, but I felt compelled to buy it.
For the next 3-days I obsessed over this toy Jeep. I carried it everywhere with me in the house, like a kid with his favorite stuffed teddy bear. I studied every inch of that toy Jeep. Soon, I graduated to researching it online - I learned everything about the different models, what made the Rubicon version unique and how they compared to other similar vehicles in its class. Everything from the
Dana 44 front & rear axles to the electronic locking front & rear lockers, I knew it all!
I pictured the adventures I would take with my Jeep (wait, I didn't have a Jeep, but I sure believed I did). These vision felt very real. I even imagined what I'd pack to take along with me in the Jeep - I really felt like I was planning an upcoming adventure (and spent a lot of my time doing so)...except one problem...my Jeep is a toy. I realized to make this come true, I'll
actually need a real Jeep.
My obsession continued. I didn't go more than a hour without thinking about the possibilities of what my life could look like with me in a Jeep.
I recall this feeling like a real plan.
3-days later, I happen to be driving by the Jeep dealership - it wasn't typical for me to be near that location. As I drove past it, my eye immediately was drawn to a brand new Jeep, posed like it's on an adventure! It was climbing a pile of rocks in the parking lot, the Jeep leaned almost 40 degrees obliquely - it looked exciting! And, you guessed it - it was the Rubicon
model.
As if my body took over my brain, on autopilot, I quickly redirected my vehicle into the parking lot and got out to have a look...
"Pretty cool Jeep, eh?" A heavy-cologne-wearing salesmen said from behind me - he appeared out of nowhere.
"You bet! I'm curious, how much is it?"
"Tell you what...I've had a really good month and this is our very last Rubicon. Why don't you come inside, I'll make it worth your while."
Without even flinching, "ok" came out of my mouth.
Here's what happened 3-hours later...