The Stereo-less Kombi

Creative Director, Luxgraphicus Design Agency

I’ll just send out these emailed estimates and be with you…

Now I’ve got someone calling on the mobile…

The fax is coming through too…

Facebook has sent me an alert, someone wants to meet for coffee this afternoon…

Someone’s coming through the front door to collect artwork before it’s press deadline…

The CD player is still blaring out Paul Simons random afro beat music…

Now the kids are in from school, running through the house…

Should I let that phone go through to the answering machine?

I was trying to think through something important earlier today, I wonder why I haven’t been able to get to grips with my thoughts?

Perhaps I need some quite time to contemplate those significant things. Or even some time to contemplate those less significant things, which often lead to very significant breakthroughs or moments of creative innovation.

And when I say creative I don’t just mean from a designer, artistic type angle either. Creative innovation could be in a business or personal sense. Solving a business or personal challenge can often best be done with out of the square innovation, rather than the logical, obvious solution.

But who gets this sort of time? Sure, at Christmas you might get some spare time, but it’s often taken up with entertaining family, eating and drinking too much and working out how to set up the kids new toys. Quiet contemplation isn’t often high on the schedule.

In any case, Christmas only comes once a year. What about the rest of the year?

Several years ago I fixed the stereo in my old Kombi van. It was great! You could turn in up loud and drown out the wind noise with the blaring afro beat of Paul Simons greatest hits. Or even some surfing anthems from the 70’s.

But the windscreen leaked! Onto the stereo, and it kept breaking down. Eventually I gave up trying to keep fixing it. Yes, I did repair the windscreen leak, but the stereo had seen its last days.

Stereos are pretty cheap nowadays. Supa-Auto-Repco has them on special for less than 200 bucks, why not get another if it was so great having one?

Well, since not having a stereo in my Kombi I have discovered that I do a lot of driving around town. Most days I spend the best part of an hour or more in my trusty Kombi.

And what do I do in that time, without the stereo to pass the time?

The mobile can’t be heard above the wind noise, the kids are at school, no-one knocks on the door, the computer and fax are back in the office, Facebook hasn’t interfaced with Kombi’s (yet…).

Oddly, I find my mind wandering.

Contemplating those significant issues of business. Contemplating those personal issues, which I hadn’t, time to consider before. Contemplating those less significant issues, which may lead to that innovative breakthrough which changes my business or my life.

Sometimes my mind just wanders off onto nothing at all. The Buddhist in me likes that time.

Stereo-less Kombi’s are traveling contemplation booths, taking their occupants on journeys far beyond the range of normal, discothèque equipped vehicles.

Next time you see me in my Kombi (you won’t miss it!) and wave, don’t be upset that I don’t wave back. I’m traveling beyond the dimensions attainable in normal vehicles. I’ll return soon enough, with new insights and refreshed.

Where can I drive to today?

Brian Miller (kombi driver, surfer, designer…)