1. A vague longing that finally began to take shape
Ever since I was young, I’ve carried a quiet longing for the Seven deep in my chest.
I’d see it in magazines, or occasionally on the street,
and each time my heart would flutter just a little.
But in the reality of everyday life,
I kept pushing that feeling down.
I only have space for one car.
No roof.
No door.
I have a family to think about.
I have work.
And I’m sixty years old.
“It’s impossible.”
“Maybe someday…”
“No… maybe it’s already too late.”
I lived with that vague frustration for years.
Then one day, I reunited with a “one‑of‑a‑kind” friend from my student days.
He still had the same smile he wore when we used to ride our bikes everywhere.
We caught up over beers,
and naturally the conversation drifted to our history with bikes and other hobbies.
That’s when he said:
“I bought something outrageous.”
“A Seven.”
In that moment, the dream I had buried deep inside
suddenly took on a clear shape.
Ah… right.
This is what I had always dreamed of too.
2. A dream that rises as a real option
As I listened to him talk about his Caterham,
something inside me began to move quietly.
The wall I had built—“It’s impossible for me”—
wavered just a little.
My friend isn’t some extraordinary person.
He’s an old buddy, someone who shares my values.
And he got himself a Seven.
—Maybe… maybe I could too.
The truth is, I sometimes looked at used listings in bed.
Sometimes I flipped through old magazines.
I even bought a scale model once.
After that reunion, I checked the same website again.
The prices and specs were exactly the same as before,
yet somehow it all felt more real.
The dream was no longer just a dream—
it was becoming a real option.
3. If I’m ever going to do it, the time is now
Of course, none of the real‑world problems had disappeared.
The parking space is still too small.
There’s no roof or door.
I have a family.
I have complicated work.
But a small voice inside whispered:
“If you do it now, you’re still in time.”
I still have the strength and the energy.
And that reunion with my friend
gave me a gentle push on the back.
“If you’re going to agonize over it, you should just try driving one.”
At that moment,
the preparations to welcome a Seven into my life
quietly began.
This is where the main story of this blog begins.
Next Episode Preview
A year after that reunion,
I rode in the passenger seat of my friend’s Caterham
as we drove together through mountain winding roads.
The sound of the wind, the pulse of the engine,
the vibration of the road coming straight into my body—
that sensation.
The Seven, which had been nothing more than a distant dream,
suddenly appeared before me as a real machine.
—Yes… I really do want one.
That was the moment I knew.
In the next episode,
I’ll write in more detail about that day.
