Throughout most things I have done, I have been blessed enough to have people around me supporting me. R/C has been no different since I started about 7 years ago. My parents have always encouraged me to play with my R/C toys because they know how much it means to me and how much joy it brings to me.
This past summer, I wanted to sell out of R/C because I had not raced in quite awhile and really lost the desire to race and compete. My Dad begged me not to sell and even offered to buy my car from me if I felt so determined to sell. He taught me the very important lesson of how if something or someone makes you happy and it seems like the right thing to do, you should never stop perusing that dream. I think about that everytime I want to give up on something, whether it be hobby-related or not. It gives me that little added fuel when I feel like I am running out. When I came to the decision that I wanted to sell my R/C stuff and give up, it saddened me so deeply just thinking about it - I guess you never realize how much something means to you when you are at risk of losing it. I know now that R/C racing is more than a hobby to me, it's part of me and something I can never give up.
Now that I have become more independent and live closer to school and away from my parents, my girlfriend has become a person who encourages and supports me in my racing, even if she could care less about it. She knows how much I look forward to it and as long as I don't talk too much about it, she can deal with it. It would be nearly impossible for a person to dissuade me from racing but I'm blessed to have a significant other who, even if she doesn't like it herself, can respect the fact that R/C is part of me and brings me happiness.