One of the undeniable signs of a good time (for me) is when I’m so excited to drive my Rc car that I get the shakes.  Sometimes its just in the hands, other times my leg goes like a jackhammer.  I’ve been told that my facial expressions are that of stone and rock but my heart is pumping wildly and I can feel that hot/icy cold rush of adrenaline course through my veins.  Given that I frequently don’t blink, I also tend to produce rivers of tears.  I get so into the drive at times that I can get a little confused after the race is over.

This, probably does not sound completely ‘good’ to many people.  However, it is one of the experiences that keeps me coming back to Rc racing.  After a couple minutes of racing someone corner to corner, nose to tail, full throttle down the straight away and lap after lap fighting for position, I think even the most neglected inner child must come out to play.

Add to this a dynamic social setting and you end up with a diverse group of people looking for the same thing – comradery.  A shared experience in action and a unified goal at rest.  Either driving laps around the track or talking with people in the pits.  Sharing an experience or experience sharing time talking about it.  This one / two counterpunch combo has seen many people through tough times, heightened the overall experience for others and found thousands of people a home away from home.

When you have a community of people sharing an experience with you, it is an affirmation that what you are doing in the here and now is not only relevant, but very real.  When you get further confirmation after the action it has a lasting impact.  Having a physical action to accomplish and a peer group to validate the outcome is, in some sense, what life is all about.

I’ve had job interviews that made my voice quiver, I’ve gone sky diving and had some panicky thoughts, been scuba diving and had deeper thoughts, I’ve sold millions of dollars worth of loans, been to the heights of corporate inner circles and never had I felt as free, unfettered and in the moment as I do when I’m having a great race with a community of people cheering it on.

Some people fight the shakes.  Some people get very nervous about them.  For me, I’ve seen some of the worlds best drive with hands shaking so hard you would think the radio ‘must’ break.  When I get the shakes it makes me feel good.  It’s a reminder that I’m ALIVE, that my actions behind the remote have a tenuous link to other people.  I’m remotely impacting people around me, and I’ll have the chance to share this experience and the experiences of others after the fact.  The question comes down to what type of conversation I’ll be able to have from my actions.  Sometimes, its just a conversation about how hard my hands were shaking.