Dunge Dispatch: Farewell, Old Friend

Earlier this month I said goodbye to Dirkwanda. Mmm-hmm, you read that correctly... Dirkwanda. 

 Dirkwanda was my 2003 Ford Explorer XLT.
(Ford Motor Company executives, if you are reading this: my family and I will gladly accept your gift of a new Ford SUV, and will regularly "blog-brag" about the wonders of Ford SUVs to our massive following, should you be so kind and inclined to gift us with a new Ford or Lincoln SUV).

Yes, Dirkwanda is an odd name, but odd is as odd does. I've always been of the opinion that a vehicle, much like a ship, should have a female name. In our case, a standard female name seemed lacking for our Explorer, so we modified her name to add a little more brawn, and "Dirkwanda" seemed the best fit. The etymology of "Dirkwanda" is a little hazy after 15 years, but suffice to say that the name Dirk is where it all began.

To start, the name "Dirk" is partial to our Texas roots, in support of one of the best NBA players of the modern era. Also the name is an homage to an actor popular to children reared on 1980s television, who nearly singlehandedly defined late 1970s/early 1980s action television on Battlestar Galactica and The A-Team. And then, when you feminize Dirk, "Dirkwanda" just seems the best fit.

We bought Dirkwanda in our 2nd year of marriage, replete with family-friendly (some would say not too friendly because it's an SUV, not a minivan) features such as a 3rd row seat and side curtain airbags. A comfortable family-hauler it was meant to be, though in God's timing, not ours (more on that at a later date... perhaps).

 Here she is in all her glory when I drove her off the new car lot:



Since we brought her home in May, 2003, Dirkwanda amassed over 172,000 miles. Here are a few of her accomplishments:
  • brought our children home from the hospital
  • brought our pup home from the rescue shelter
  • crossed the Continental Divide at Hoosier Pass, Colorado
  • taken us camping in AR, CO, OH, TX, and WI
  • scaled a "fourteener" in the Rocky Mountains
  • weathered Chicago winters and Texas summers
  • made engine block s'mores on a trip to a drive-in movie
  • comfortably sat our family on countless road trips
  • hauled our belongings during eight moves in ten years
  • faithfully started and safely taken us everywhere we asked.
And here she is on the day we donated her to the Salvation Army:

May you provide many more miles and smiles to the next one lucky enough to have you, Dirkwanda.

 -- Dunge

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dunge Dispatch: Leadership Lessons from "The Way of The Shepherd"

Image
OK, this is a book review. Prepare to be... astounded. Or not. Normally, I don't care for book reviews. Whether it's a book review from someone highly regarded, or even a close friend or colleague, I prefer to gather the facts for myself, read the book, and come to my own conclusions. Perhaps Mr. Fairman's "Every man is his own historian" guidance from junior year AP History made more of an impression than first thought.  I won't go into lengthy detail, but suffice to say a recent read, recommended by a friend and colleague, made an impression on me.  The Way of the Shepherd  (which I'll refer to as  TWOS  in this article) by Dr. Kevin Leman and William Pentak, made me consider several things, which I wanted to share here. In brief, TWOS  is the fictional story of a soon-to-be MBA graduate who seeks and finds managerial wisdom from a grad school professor who is also a part-time shepherd. The story is told in past-tense narrative, as the former MBA/now rea...
Read more

Dunge Dispatch: Why Every Marketing/Advertising Type Should Carry a Portfolio

Image
You say you're in marketing and advertising, eh? If you are a recent graduate with your marketing degree in hand, or if you're a tenured brand manager extraordinaire who has been furloughed, please read on. The question you need to answer, no matter the stage of your career is: Beyond your resume and Linked In profile, how can you show that you  know a thing or two about building a brand and telling that brand's story? Everyone in marketing and advertising has seen a creative's portfolio. You know, the one where the creative shows their best work, and the lucky blokes on the other side of the table get to "ooh" and "ahh" over the insightful, witty, clever, and meaningful work enshrined in said portfolio. This article is here to encourage you, dear fellow marketer. Creatives and designers shouldn't be the only ones having all the fun.  For every marketer and advertising type, I highly recommend  you create and keep a portfolio of your wo...
Read more

Dunge Dispatch: Canceling Oktoberfest? A Marketer's Response; die Kirche im Dorf lassen, bitte

Image
So I've heard that our friends in Deutschland are getting a little carried away*, and have chosen to cancel Wiesn 2020, as an offical response to COVID-19. The attached article details the decision:  https://www.dw.com/en/oktoberfest-in-germany-canceled-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak/a-53142998 My takeaway is that this is an over-reaction to the virus, that Oktoberfest can still go on, albeit in a different format. As a marketing strategist who has weathered many seasons of change, I believe Oktoberfest can still happen, and that we, along with our dear, resourceful Germans, will be able to shout a "Prost!" starting in mid-September.  Though a communal tent would cross the line amidst the coronavirus pandemic, here is my proposal, in order to keep the bier flowing and Blaskapelle playing:  Create several mail order versions of "Oktoberfest at Home." What would this look like? Thinking of how Texans consume barbecue, there would be an individual kit,...
Read more