What is a crew, and what makes up a crew? Is it the cars? The people? Is it a lifestyle maybe? Car crews and teams have always been something that I've paid attention to, and in the recent years, crews seem to be as popular as ever with the rise of social media. Anytime you go to a meet or show, you see the various crews and clubs all parked together kind of like how everyone hung out in their group or clique back in high school.
While some of us may be a few years beyond high school, we still seem to seek out a crew to be a part of. The drama may not be as present, but there still seems to a bit stirring about this community, and there are friendly rivalries, but nothing beats hanging out with your friends. That right there seems to be what a crew is made up of; friends. Friends that share a common passion and who share a common style, but friends. A crew will get together outside of meets, whether it's to help a fellow member work on their car, or if it's to just get together at someone's house and enjoy some food and drinks. They're people you can count on to be there for one another.
The bonds and relationships can be equated to an extended family. Through good times and bad times, everyone sticks it out together. There is definitely a sense of comradery and pride when it comes to being with a crew. You're all in it together, and being a recruit or someone new, getting the crew sticker was like a right of passage.
Crews do come and go though, but the ones that stick together for good are usually the ones that start as a group of friends. I guess I just have this vision in my head of some friends who all work on their cars together and have a similar style, and always hang out together. Before long, a name sticks to them, and others get welcomed into the fold. Sometimes they get big, and there are chapters all over country or world. Sometimes they stay smaller, and centralized to keep the close family feel, but the love and bond is still the same throughout. It's a feeling that only someone who is apart of a crew can describe it seems. It really is kind of hard to put into words.
Sometimes though, things don't work out. Whether politics, or drama get in the way, people break off, grow up, or grow out. Disagreements can happen anywhere, but a strong crew like a strong family will work them out. However, there are cases where an individual doesn't want to work out an issue and decides it's best to say goodbye. It's never an easy thing to do especially with friends whom one considers more than friends.
Okay, so you're probably wondering what I'm getting at with all this crew talk, and why you've been seeing only photos of one car, my car. Despite becoming a freelance writer, I still need a personal outlet to put thoughts down that I probably wouldn't have the chance to share with others for the publications I work for. The past six months have certainly been a roller-coaster ride for me as I discovered who my friends were, and see the crews I was apart of either fall apart, or find out that I wasn't really apart of to begin with.
There's no one to blame other than myself, and certainly no hard feelings towards any party. To be honest, things just kept on going the way they had been. While I sorted stuff out, I came to realize that what I was in high school and in college is always what I'll be, which is a lone wolf. I was never apart of one clique, and I had few friends, but I could talk to anyone. That hasn't changed over the years as I still find myself not belonging to any crew or group, and am one that can still hold a conversation with anyone. I just roam meets and shows by myself with my camera, and go on leisurely cruises to nowhere with just my car, music, and usually my camera in tow.
It's not like it's a bad thing either. Some just like doing their own thing, and for me it's a simple case of I don't belong. My car is a good example of that as it takes inspiration from a variety of sources and subcultures in the car community. Like me, it doesn't fit in, but for some reason people can't help but notice.
In the end though, I'll never lose my respect or admiration for the tight-knit crews. They will always be something I look up to, maybe because it's something that I'll never see myself apart of. I'm one of those "bigger-picture" guys, and try to give back or help the community as much as I can. I think crews are the face of the car community because the actions of many carry far more weight than the actions of one. With that in mind, I hope the crews out there do a good job of representing the community as a whole. If you're still reading this now, thanks for taking the time to stay to the end. I can only hope that you'll take something away from this and can relate to it. If not, oh well, and hopefully you at least saw some cool pictures. I can only do so much, haha. Till next time.
