Our adrenaline was rushing as we herded our way through the crowd of rednecks. They staggered aimlessly like cattle in a corral, with their loud mouths and beer smelling breaths. We couldn’t remember if our parking spot was in F12 or S12. All that jet fuel from the monster trucks’ exhaust must have destroyed some of our brain cells. It was more than exhaust fumes that affected the person we came across though; he had an attitude that was out of control. We had finally arrived at our parking spot when we met a person who wanted to knock off our heads. “Hey!” I said after this character dragged his beer bottle over the hood of my truck. “Why don’t you try and be a little more careful!” The guy toting the beer bottle had stringy dirty-blond hair, blue jeans with holes torn on the knees and backside, and a T-shirt that read “Motley Crew” across the back. “Oh, yea. You didn’t like that.” He slurred as he slammed the bottle down on the hood of my truck again. He could hardly find his mouth as he placed his two fingers in it to whistle for his friends. “Maybe you’ll like this. Hey! Danny! Mike! This guy's gotta f***** problem with how I act!” “All right! All right.” I said as I rolled up my truck window. “Calm down. I’m outa here.”
It amazes me how a man can become barbaric in his attitude after attending a Monster Truck Rally. A man can walk away from these rallys, filled with fire in his veins. His attitude is likened to one who has just watched the “Rocky” movie: his adrenaline elevates; his peripheral view narrows and, within his mind, he becomes Rocky Balboa. Nothing can bring him back to reality. Likewise, people walk away from Monster Truck Rallys thinking that they are monster trucks. If we can look into the fantasies and fears that possess spectators as they watch a Monster Truck Rally, we will be able to understand the cause and effect of a spectator’s attitude. Knowing this information will help us differentiate reality from theatrics. And as we apply this knowledge, it will result in peaceful sporting events. While looking behind the spectacle of Monster Truck Rallys, we are going to consider what results as spectators over-identify within their fantasies. We will also look at the reaction of spectators when they are overcome by a fear of failing.
Let’s first realize the results of over-identifying as we gaze into the mind of a spectator. Allow me to create a scene to draw our analogy. A spectator--we’ll call him Jack--is late for the first couple of events at the Monster Truck Rally because he had to park three blocks away from the Coliseum. Jack is aggravated from the walk, but he anticipates his reward of tap beer. He finally arrives at the stadium. Anxiously he races his way through the overcrowded Coliseum and hunts for his assigned seat. While holding a beer in one hand and Nachos in the other, Jack uses his oversized feet to brush off his chair--which an over zealous fan had spilled popcorn on; then he squeezes his large derriere in place. All he is missing is a seat-belt. Jack is late, but he’s arrived just in time to see his favorite truck, Grave Digger, race through the mud trench. Grave Digger has raced for 7 years, and Jack has seen every event. He knows that this truck is a 1950 Chevrolet Panel Wagon--all fiberglass--that carries a 540ci, Keith Black, Chevy blown engine. Jack’s heart is in this engine--alcohol injected and ready to “kick ass." Jack has great faith in the Grave Digger’s modified turbo 400 transmission, and the Kuster coil-over race shocks. He feels a tingle in his legs as he thinks about the 18 inches of travel these shocks give to Grave Digger. He waits. He slurps the warm foam from his beer. Jack’s eyes focus on Grave Digger’s oversized tires. They’re off! Jack’s heart races in time with Grave Digger’s spinning wheels. He slowly rises from his seat as his stomach rises with him; the race is bumper to bumper at the finish line; he must win. The fan in front of Jack stands up, blocking Jacks view. It’s over. He wonders what happened as he looks at the huge TV screen displaying the events. Grave Digger lost. Jack lost. In anger, Jack dumps his beer over the obstructing fans bald head. After all, it was the fan's fault. He shouldn’t have blocked Jacks view; he shouldn’t have gotten in the way of Grave Digger. You can see how Jack’s intense identity with the monster truck resulted in displaced aggression. Jack had become Grave Digger; therefore, because Jack lost the race, per say, he vented his anger on the innocent spectator. This display of anger was a direct result of over-identifying. If Jack composed himself after enjoying his moment of fantasy, by stepping back into reality, this display of aggression would not have resulted; contrarily, peace would have taken aggressions place.
Do you recall the first story you read that spoke of the redneck spectator who wanted to knock off my head? Let’s use this story to draw out my fear of failure theory. This inebriated spectator--we’ll call him Dick--was exiting the Monster Truck Rally. Like the monster trucks, filled with jet fuel, Dick was filled with pitchers of booze and fear. He was ready to ignite off the starting line. The booze came from the concession-stands, but the fear came from his desire to overcome. Similar to the unsympathetic monster truck that drives over anything lying in the vehicle's path, Dick had made up his mind that nothing was going to stop him from crushing my skull. His fear of failing outweighed the fact that he would have to harm an individual--me--in order to accomplish his task. Dick’s motivation to pummel me was a direct result of his fear of failing, which consequently, could have caused severe damage to my body. If Dick, after dragging his beer bottle over my truck, would have gestured an apology by simply nodding his head, he would have deferred to peace and side stepped his competitive nature. However, this attitude did not coincide with his monster truck mentality. Therefore, the fear of failure outweighed the desire for peace. This conclusion is saddening, but it’s truthful. We can take advantage of this truth by understanding it’s consequences. Peace will manifest at a Monster Truck Rally as individuals begin acting out of consideration instead of acting out of fear.
In any circumstance, we need to live peacefully with each other. Enjoy your fantasies and understand your fears, but don’t be as tyrannical as the monster trucks, which devour their opponents in a cloud of dust.
© 1999 james olmos
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