Happiness and Culture

By Ed Shorer

When I was twelve-years-old I ditched Hebrew School, found myself at a slot car track, and never did get my Bar Mitzvah. But what I did get, in a very organic way, was life-lessons in ethics, how to play well with others, and how to be happy. In large part slot-car racing took the place of my secondary school education, as well, because I learned math, physics, electrical and mechanical engineering – and the tools to go with them – at the raceway instead of in the classroom.

This paper examines my journey, touching on aspects that add up to a life of happiness in my hobby, now totaling twenty years. Slot-car racing experiences that contributed to my happiness include, but are not be limited to:

a sense of awe, joy, a sense of accomplishment, pride, confidence, camaraderie, excitement, living in a world within a world, the raceway as a third place, and even time travel.

My talk is illustrated with pictures of my hobby, including participants, cars, racetracks, advertisements, and awards.