Free to be me

I was talking to a friend about quirks, and the different ones we have. It's those things, those ticks, those idiosyncrasies that make us interesting. That chat, and seeing a Saab 9-3 hatchback, made me lament the wringing out of quirks around us. That Saab was different from most cars--the hatch, the mudflaps between the wheels, the ignition in the console--it reveled in difference. It was proud of being apart from the crowd. Then General Motors bought Saab. And proceeded to ring the fun and quirkiness out of the machine. Eventually, GM killed the hatchback (Americans don't like hatches) and took a small Subaru and badge-engineered it into a Saab. The public, as smart as they are, wasn't buying it. (I'm not knocking Subaru--they have quirks themselves. I once coveted this car). Big companies hate quirks, because quirks represent risk, and risk is not good for the bottom line. But how can you get a reward if you don't risk? And have fun and be cheeky at the same time? Audentes fortuna juvat.