Standing On The Outside

Now that Peter Brock's funeral is over, I think it's probably slightly (but not much) safer to tell this story on my blog. I know I've probably told it to almost everyone who reads it, but what the hell, you can hear it again. As all of you know, (except maybe those outside Australia, if any of you are reading this) Australia recently lost another legend: Peter Brock, possibly the greatest ever Australian motorsport racer. It was indeed a sad loss. In a hilariously ironic twist of fate however (don't hit me), shortly before his untimely death, Brock signed a deal to endorse a new in-car GPS navigation system: Road Angel. Even more ironic than the name, was the procuct's slogans: Simply The Smartest Choice For Safer Driving", and "Now you can get from A to B...Safely". Not only that, but it has voice direction. Who better to tell you how to drive than Peter Brock himself? I would have paid to see the face of the advertising suit who first suggested the idea of having this product endorsed by Peter Brock, that would have been hilarious.

I wonder, if there's some form of heaven, or a "spirit", or whatever else it is people believe in these days, if Peter Brock sees the irony in it. I don't mean any disrespect to Peter Brock by all this, so please don't be all disgusted at me. In fact, I hope that when I die, I die in the same eay he did: doing what I love, and with some element that at least one person finds funny.

When I die, I want people to react with laughter. Saddness too, but I'd hope that there's some aspect to laugh about, too. I don't want anyone to feel bad, or guilty for laughing, as I hope I die in a way that is in some way, funny. Preferably not "what an idiot"-funny, but I'll take what I can get.

That's all for now, but I'll leave you with a question: Was it wrong of me to set the Road Angel on display at work to speak with Peter Brock's voice?