Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 21:40:25 -0500
Reply-To: David Chasteen <dchaz@GTE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: David Chasteen <dchaz@GTE.NET>
Subject: Re: Is Westy-lust justified? Do you use your appliances?
was:chuckboxe
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Bravo Carl, I couldn't have said it better myself.
Chaz
'82 Westy "Peewee"
Brownfield, Texas
----------
From: CarlMarin@AOL.COM
Sent: Monday, August 10, 1998 8:19 PM
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Is Westy-lust justified? Do you use your appliances? was:chuckboxe
Hi All,
The debate about whether a Westie is worthwhile or not is like a debate
about art over appliances. Those that think of a Westfalia as a collection of
kitchen appliances on wheels are missing the esthetic of such an elegant and
efficient engineered design. The way the nooks and crannies are turned into
useful storage, the beauty of the large radiused corners on the cabinet doors,
the genius of the ergonomics of so many "things" packed into such a small
package, these are all things that make a Westfalia something to be admired
and lusted for. Do we need all this stuff? Some of us figure out how to use
more of it than others of us probably but I'd hate to not have the stuff I
don't use much just because I like looking at it all.
Think of the Westfalia in the same terms as you might admire a Swiss Army
Knife, one of the ones with about 50 attachments on it. Does anyone ever use
the saw to cut down trees? Maybe a few do but I'd hate to be without mine in
case that tree comes along that needs to be cut.
Think of the Westfalia the way you might think of a Minox camera with all of
its little funky attachments or the perfection of an Olympus XA camera.
Genius reduced to a mechanical device of absolute minimum practical size. If
you can see the genius in the assemblage of cabinets and appliances that make
a Westfalia then you simply must have one. If you sit inside a Westfalia and
it puts a smile on your face as you daydream about the places that you'd go in
it and all the good times that might bring then you must have one. The
Westfalia is about the imagination and the possibilities. Some sad folks
never manage to turn the possibilities into reality probably through fear and
listening to that little practical voice yammer on about all the reasons why
they can't and how uncomfortable they would be if they did and their Westies
sit unused. Too bad. They should put more in the owners manual about the
mind altering aspects of the Westfalia. Some people are slow learners.
For the practical types it will always be smarter to fly to your destination
and stay at the Howard Johnson. Costs less and you won't notice how bad you
smell after sleeping in the Westie for a few days.
Sincerely,
Carl Turner - "Art collector"
84 and 85 Westies. (would one Picasso look right hanging on the wall by
itself??)
