The Man who had a Passion for Land Cruisers

Today, July 3, 2013 I still could not forget how I met this man some 2 years ago on the road while traveling from Manila to Sorsogon in Bicol. I had intended to write a blog about him but this desire had been overtaken by numerous other activities time and again. Even so, I could not forget my encounter with Homer, the guy who pursued his hobby for Land Cruisers with singular passion.

It was a bright sunny afternoon and I was travelling somewhere in Camarines Sur with 3 of my staff when I saw this matte black 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser CJ-7 by the roadside. It stood tall with its mighty off-road tires and a drop-side pick-up body and front right side snorkels. I immediately asked my driver to stop. When I went towards it, I saw straightaway that, like an art, it was a work in progress and undergoing construction.

As I walked to the house nearest the Land Cruiser, I was met by a mild-mannered man with a strong handshake. I asked him if the CJ-7 was for sale. That opened an animated conversation between the two of us that lasted an hour. He said it was not for sale because it was a passion he pursued after he retired as a police officer. He showed me around his garage which he has turned into a workshop for restoring the Cruisers.

He had 3 of them, as he pointed to a second CJ-7 parked at the far end of the sprawling lawn where the garage was located. As I approached this second 4x4 Off-roader, I recognized that it was the same model as the Land Cruiser I owned, enjoyed and had kept for more than 20 years in the hope that I would find time to fully restore it someday. Mine was red with white top. His was sky blue with white top. These were signature 4x4 CJ-7 colors of the standard Land Cruiser 3-doors, with the rear door swinging from left to right, not top to bottom. Again I marveled at how Homer managed to keep this 4x4 in tip-top shape. I was in awe of its front bumper winch because mine had none.

Our conversation turned to many other things. He knew my friend and neighbor, the former vice-governor of Sorsogon and told me what class he belonged as a cadet in the Philippine National Police Academy. I told him I invited this guy to be the 15th Commencement Speaker of a tertiary school I owned. Homer belonged to a family of doctors. Starting with their parents, many among his 7 siblings had pursued the same profession. The big building on the right of his garage used to be a hospital which their family operated before most of the members migrated to other parts of the world. Even his wife is still working abroad.

It seems Homer is left to attend to some other family concerns like real properties and agricultural lands which were entrusted to his care when many of the family members left the country. As soon as he retired, he found time to pursue his passion with 4x4 Land Cruisers. He admitted he never drove off-road but enjoyed watching the guys who did in Naga City. Thereafter he developed a lot of friendships with guys having the same interest, as he asked a lot of questions, and they kindly showed him the intricacies of the sport.

Now, as I stood in front of Homer asking the questions, he was proactively passing on to me a lot of wealth from the knowledge he had gained from his mentors. The past hour flew in a heartbeat. Now it was time to say goodbye. The meeting ended as it had started - with a firm handshake.

I had done so much research with the Toyota Land Cruiser CJ-7 that I had owned, used, enjoyed and kept for more than 20 years. But like a good mentor, Homer had injected more enthusiasm with the trove of ideas he had passed on to me. This soft-spoken gentleman who pursued his passion with exuberance proved that life is still and all, about continuously learning. Cheers to you Homer!