"If you risk nothing, you risk everything." This is one of my favorite quotes, which applies to many aspects of life, from asking a girl for a date to starting a new business. If you take a risk, you might lose, but if you take no risks in life, failure is guaranteed. I was thinking lately about how this saying applied to Porsche ownership so I did a little investigation into whom coined the phrase. I was surprised to find that it was attributed to Geena Davis, the actor. In fact I was somewhat disappointed because I thought it was Grace Hopper's quote. I was excited however to find that Grace had a similar, but even more relevant quote. But first, I have to tell you who Grace Hopper was. She was born in 1906 and was one of the early pioneers of computer science. She worked for the U.S. Navy on some of the very first computers, developing the first compiler and is known as the mother of the revolutionary programming language COBOL. She was an amazing woman, the first ever to achieve the rank of Rear Admiral, retiring in Boston, aboard the U.S.S. Constitution at age 79. She died in 1992. Her favorite maxim was "A ship in port in safe, but that is not what ships are built for." My version is "A Porsche in the garage is safe, but that is not what Porsches are built for." Many people choose not to try some of our events, such as autocross or driver's ed because of the apparent risks. "What if my engine breaks?" "What if I crash?" "What if I spin-out and people laugh at me?" "What if I look stupid?" Frankly, the risks of damaging your car are probably much lower than you think. And after years of being involved with the club, I can personally assure you that nobody will look down on you if you drive slowly - we've all been there too! The real risk is leaving your car in the garage. When you are 100 years old and your great-grandchildren want to know about the exciting adventures you had with your Porsche back in the second millennium, what will you tell them? "If it was a sunny day, I'd take it for a short drive around town, otherwise, I kept it safe in the garage." Or will you have some exciting memories to share with them? As a professional investor, I evaluate risk every day. You can't look at risk alone though, the equation to assess is risk versus reward. The art of living entails balancing these two elements. There are no right or wrong answers though. The choice is yours. Some of our members don't seem to care at all about risk. Here's a write-up of one of my favorite club events where everybody has a smashing good time: If James Dean were alive today, he would have felt right at home at the 7th Annual Northeast Region demolition derby, which was held April 1st on Boston Common. Thirty-six veteran and novice drivers competed with their pristine Porsches. Only cars with no pre-existing body damage were allowed to enter. This year’s winner, M. Forrester Gump, was quoted as saying, “I’d just ram my 911 SC Targa head-on into those fellers with the newer cars and watch their airbags go off, then they were like sitting ducks! It also helps to have the engine in back. I laughed when some of those so-called Porsches blew their radiators! The 356s were also easy to nail. I sent Skrim Shaw’s Speedster right into a tree and kaboom, it burst into flames!” Mr. Gump received a $100 gift certificate from Ike’s Autobody, which was presented by the lovely Barbie Calzone. Another participant, Dom Tatertot, who drove a 914 said, “I was doing quite well and had just backed into Rusty Lasagna’s 930, when a 928 traveling at high speed T-boned my car. My 12 year old daughter, who was riding in the passenger seat said, “This is fun Daddy!” as my car rolled 3 times. Unfortunately, I ended up with a broken arm, but it was worth it and I’ll be back again next year!” Demolition Derby Chairman Hattrick RamAgain said that this year’s event was our best yet with only seven serious injuries and no deaths. Our next event, April 1st, 1999 will be a joint competition with the Ferrari Club.