PCA and Switzerland
Sometimes this monthly letter stares back at me from a blank page. At times I’m challenged to come up with a topic that I think might be entertaining, or usefully informative. And as you all know by now, I’m not really a writer. Having hit the wall this month as I was trying to find something interesting, I was forced to think about this question- “Are there common traits, across all of PCA regions, which allows members to get along so well?” And I think I came up with at least ONE answer – the courage to be neutral.
Being neutral may seem to some like a cop out. Not taking a stand. In reality though, being neutral is a position in itself, and it takes a lot of work. And I don’t think that you work to invest in being neutral unless you see the benefit of taking that decision. One of the things that I really enjoy about PCA, wherever I go, is that it has some of the same qualities of a Switzerland.
I firmly believe that within the first months of being active in just about any PCA region, it becomes clear to new PCA members that being a member of the club is about the cars and the people, and not about all of the daily distractions that are filling our media and airwaves. In fact PCA seems to provide a bit of an island, a respite, away from all of the other noise.
It’s probably safe to say that any reasonably sized gathering of Porsche owners is replete with more than its fair share of “A-type” personalities with strong opinions in just about any possible direction on any particular controversial topic. Yet, at least in my experience, subjects like politics, religion, or BMW’s (kidding on that last one), never seem to take center stage at PCA events. And in the past few years we’ve grown to the point that every region has its own social media footprint. That means that PCA discussions can emerge as fast as the weather can change here in the West. Yet, still, there seems to be a “code” that’s understood among most members- and even beyond our members when Facebook groups allow non-members to come visit our social media outlets. I’m happy to report that in the past year, I’m only aware of a handful of times that our region administrators have had to intercept a post, or have a discussion with a poster about a topic, or a bit of news, that may have stepped into turf that did not reflect the values of the club. In fact, I’ve observed in person on several occasions that when an individual wants to “go there”, others will politely steer the topic in another direction. Or defer it to a later, and more private time. This type of behavior which I see on occasion, reflects individuals protecting their PCA haven, by intervening on behalf of neutrality. It takes effort. And the benefit of the effort is in the bonding that takes place among members. Friendships get deeper. Relationships get stronger. And the club remains a healthy place.
Thanks to each and every one of you who makes the effort to keep PCA a comfortable and fun place for all of our members.
Rich Sanders
Zone9Rep@pca.org