The Charm of Twitter

Lately, I’ve become more of a Twitter fan than Facebook. Of course, both have their own appeal, but I feel that Twitter reveals people’s true nature and raw emotions more than Facebook. Just scrolling through posts can be entertaining and spark fresh ideas from different perspectives. (Though there’s plenty of misinformation aimed at going viral.)

For example, around Valentine’s Day, I saw many tweets from car-loving guys saying things like “I don’t have a girlfriend because I love cars” or “How can I marry a wife who loves cars?” It made me think, “So this is what young people are thinking these days!” and I enjoyed watching these posts like a proud aunt.

Reading those tweets got me thinking about what kind of woman a man should marry if he wants to keep loving cars and live a life alongside them even after marriage. So today, I want to share a little of my thoughts on that.

It’s Okay Not to Love Cars

To be honest, I wasn’t a car enthusiast at all—I was actually in the camp of “Cars aren’t necessary in life.” I thought, “They cost a lot annually, you can live without them, public transport is well-developed in cities, and exhaust fumes harm the environment. So, I don’t need a car.”

But even so, before marrying my husband, I never once thought, “I want him to quit his car hobby” or “If we marry, he should compromise on cars.”

Why could I, someone who didn’t love cars, think, “He should just enjoy what he loves” about my car-loving, touring-enthusiast husband?

Because,

I myself choose to live by cherishing what I love, so I can understand a husband who wants to cherish what he loves.

When I Was 27

I may have mentioned this briefly on this blog before, but I started my own business at 27. I had no clue about anything—no money, no connections, no know-how—and looking back, it was totally reckless (laughs).

Naturally, my family and the company I worked for strongly opposed it.

“It’s impossible. You’ll definitely fail. What will you do if you end up with huge debts?”

“You’re getting good evaluations and a decent salary for your age at your current company. Throwing all that away is unthinkable.”

And so on…

Especially my parents, who are all company employees, seriously worried, thinking, “Has she finally lost her mind?” and opposed it 100%. But inside me, the feeling was strong: “If I don’t do it now, I’ll regret it forever.” So I took the plunge. (In the end, I launched my business with my family’s support.)

Ten years ago, entrepreneurship wasn’t as trendy as it is now, and especially in Kansai, it was rare for women in their 20s to go independent. At various networking events I attended, I was even told some frustrating “women are just…” comments to my face. That’s when I vividly realized:

Choosing a life different from society’s norms and laid-out paths brings a strong backlash from the world.

But since I tend to get fired up and say, “Bring it on!” when challenged, it actually worked in my favor.

Living Your Own Life

After going independent, I met many entrepreneurs who, unlike my days as a company employee, fully supported my challenges. One senior I’ve known for over 10 years said something that still sticks with me:

“If you want to climb Everest, go ask someone who’s already climbed it. Someone who hasn’t will definitely say it’s impossible, even with good intentions. But someone who’s been there will give you advice and cheer you on. That’s how it is.”

I was like, “Wow, that makes so much sense!” Ever since, I sought advice from such people, and before I knew it, my circle was mostly entrepreneurs and freelancers.

Seeing so many of them living richly by following their own will, free from societal norms made me want to live like that too.

But, great freedom comes with great responsibility. I’ve worked desperately for 10 years but haven’t even reached one-millionth of my goal. I ended up broke (laughs).

If you ask me, “Do you regret it?” I don’t at all. Like the Dragon Quest philosophy,

If you get defeated by a strong enemy, you just restart from the church. You lose money, but your experience remains.

I gained experiences that became my life’s treasure, so I’m really glad I took that step.

Still, I’m truly grateful to my husband who created an environment where I could fully pursue what I want even after marriage and having children.

Also, over these 10 years, I realized I might be relatively good at writing and expressing things to many people. I changed my business approach and seriously started this Porsche blog, which brings me to today.

If a Car Lover Gets Married

That was a long preamble, but basically, since I myself choose to value my own will over societal norms, I think it’s totally fine if my husband loves cars and is even crazy about them. In fact, the crazier, the more you can break through, and that makes life more interesting and better, right?

Taking a different path from others means you’ll hear a lot of things and face strong opposition to some degree.

Still, if life is only once, I choose to live my own life, not someone else’s expectations. I believe my husband thinks the same, so I want him to cherish his “likes” and “wants” and enjoy them to the fullest.

That said, in reality, it’s quite important that my husband understands the balance of “freedom and responsibility.” He says things like:

“I’ll work hard to earn so that our finances won’t suffer because of cars.”
“I hate housework and don’t want to do it, but in exchange, I’ll actively introduce time-saving appliances and services to make it easier.”

I honestly feel this is crucial. (I couldn’t be a wife who supports a husband who does whatever he wants without regard for others, haha.)

So, to bring it back to the start… When it comes to what kind of woman a man should marry to keep loving cars and live a life with them after marriage, of course, marrying a woman who loves cars is ideal, but those women are probably very rare… (laughs)

Looking at it from a different angle,

someone who understands the importance of living their own life and values how they want to be over societal norms.

If you meet and marry someone like that, you might be able to continue a car-loving lifestyle after marriage. Well, it might not be that simple, but that’s what this auntie thinks these days.