Life of chapters
Rhythmic as celestial precession
Eagerness for the next
Like nostalgia for the last
As unnecessary as tides
Perhaps as inevitable too
All good things are oursi
Our times be in Thy handii
From this chapter to the next.iii
- To quote Robert Browning (1812-1889) from his poem Rabbi ben Ezra:
Let us not always say,
“Spite of this flesh to-day
I strove, made head, gained ground upon the whole!”
As the bird wings and sings,
Let us cry “All good things
Are ours, nor soul helps flesh more, now, than flesh helps soul!”Therefore I summon age
To grant youth’s heritage,
Life’s struggle having so far reached its term:
Thence shall I pass, approved
A man, for aye removed
From the developed brute; a god though in the germ.And I shall thereupon
Take rest, ere I be gone
Once more on my adventure brave and new:
Fearless and unperplexed,
When I wage battle next,
What weapons to select, what armour to indue.Youth ended, I shall try
My gain or loss thereby;
Leave the fire ashes, what survives is gold:
And I shall weigh the same,
Give life its praise or blame:
Young, all lay in dispute; I shall know, being old.For note, when evening shuts,
A certain moment cuts
The deed off, calls the glory from the grey:
A whisper from the west
Shoots—”Add this to the rest,
Take it and try its worth: here dies another day.”So, still within this life,
Though lifted o’er its strife,
Let me discern, compare, pronounce at last,
This rage was right i’ the main,
That acquiescence vain:
The Future I may face now I have proved the Past.”For more is not reserved
To man, with soul just nerved
To act to-morrow what he learns to-day:
Here, work enough to watch
The Master work, and catch
Hints of the proper craft, tricks of the tool’s true play.So, take and use Thy work:
Amend what flaws may lurk,
What strain o’ the stuff, what warpings past the aim!
My times be in Thy hand!
Perfect the cup as planned!
Let age approve of youth, and death complete the same! - In our hands in the header image is an estate sale find from this weekend: an outdoor glass table with floral green metal legs that we scooped for $100 and manually “strapped” to the roof of the G550 to take a few blocks down the road to our soon-to-be-former house. Upgrades are in the air in 2025! ↩
- Erik Erikson (1802 – 1894, née Erik Salomonsen) used this framework for life’s chapters:
# Age span Developmental task (crisis) Core question Basic virtue Positive resolution Maladaptation (if unresolved) 1 Infancy ≈ 0–18 mo Trust vs. Mistrust Can I trust the world? Hope Secure attachment; confidence that needs will be met Withdrawal, basic anxiety, suspicion 2 Early childhood ≈ 1½–3 yr Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt Is it OK to be me? Will Self-controlled exploration, emerging self-regulation Compulsion (rigid self-control) or self-doubt 3 Play age ≈ 3–6 yr Initiative vs. Guilt Is it OK to do, move, and act? Purpose Energetic pursuit of goals; imaginative play; moral self-testing Ruthless drive or inhibition, chronic guilt 4 School age ≈ 6–12 yr Industry vs. Inferiority Can I make things and make them well? Competence Mastery of culturally valued skills; work ethic Narrow virtuosity (workaholism) or inertia 5 Adolescence ≈ 12–19 yr Identity vs. Role Confusion Who am I and whose am I? Fidelity Coherent personal ideology; capacity for loyalty Fanaticism or repudiation (identity diffusion) 6 Young adulthood ≈ 19–40 yr Intimacy vs. Isolation Can I merge my identity with another without losing myself? Love Mutually nourishing partnerships (romantic, collegial) Promiscuity or exclusionary isolation 7 Mid-adulthood ≈ 40–65 yr Generativity vs. Stagnation Can I make my life count beyond myself? Care Productive creativity, mentorship, parenting, civic contribution Over-extension (busybody) or rejectivity 8 Late adulthood ≈ 65 yr + Ego Integrity vs. Despair Was my life meaningful? Wisdom Peaceful acceptance of one’s life narrative & finitude Presumption (denial of death) or disdain Of course you’re probably wondering what the automotive equivalent is? Something like this perhaps:
Stage Typical age band Core ownership Representative machines Competence 0 · Sensory Seeding 0 – 5 Passive exposure—Cars & Coffee stroller laps, die-casts, YouTube super-cuts Hot Wheels “Exotics” packs, LEGO Porsche 911 GT3 RS kit Awe – mechanical motion feels magical 1 · Locomotor Play 5 – 11 Self-propelled or e-assist rideables Pedal karts, entry e-scooters, basic sim rigs (Gran Turismo) Kinesthetic control – throttle-brake-steer loop, risk calibration 2 · Project Orientation 12 – 16 Non-road-legal tinkering projects 50 cc pit bikes, salvage-kart builds, gaming PCs for Assetto Corsa Mechanical literacy – tools, telemetry HUDs, iterative problem-solving 3 · First Road Agency 16 – 25 Seat-time-first RWD/AWD platforms Mazda MX-5, Toyota GT86/GR86, VW Golf GTI, Renault Clio RS Empirical competence – car-control clinics, autocross, wrench basics 4 · Identity Lock-In 25 – 35 Depreciated but serious performance daily + track Porsche 997.2 Carrera S, BMW E92 M3, Alpine A110, Honda Type R (FK8) Fidelity – coherent taste profile, first committed club affiliation 5 · Generative Apex 35 – 50 Porsche Motorsport GT line; HPDE instructing, data science overlays 991.2/992 GT3, 992 GT3 RS, 718 GT4 RS, 997/991 GT2 RS Care – mentoring novices, organising events, refining setup spreadsheets 6 · Portfolio Elevation 50 – 65 Provenance-rich exotics; curated stable Ferrari 458 Speciale, 812 Competizione, F12 tdf, Daytona, 288 GTO Stewardship prestige – concours judging, historic rallies, artisan restoration patronage 7 · Heritage Synthesis 65 – 75 Mixed-era icons + modern comfort GTs; grand-tour rituals Aston Martin DB5, Mercedes 300 SL Roadster, Bentley Continental GT, Jaguar E-type LW Wisdom – curatorial storytelling, archiving build sheets, funding young engineers 8 · Transference & Legacy 75 + Trusts, museums, charity rallies; coaching grandchildren Le Mans Classic entries, Pebble Beach preservation class, STEM-karting endowments Transcendence – passion outlives owner; educational impact replaces lap time