I could either watch it happen or be a part of it
— Elon Musk
Have you ever experienced one of those days when you allow the kids to lead you somewhere? And then end up actually enjoying it? Well, that was me at Pavilion Mall KL.
“Come on, lah! It’s just for a few minutes,” my 8-year-old son Hayek pleaded.
As we entered the mall with my family, I couldn’t help but be captivated by the vibrant atmosphere. And when I say vibrant, I mean it quite literally. Kids were perched on their fathers’ shoulders, striving for a better view. Even a man and his dog were present to catch a glimpse. Let me tell you, it was like witnessing Superman’s inaugural landing.
“Look, Didi!” Hayek almost knocked over a mannequin in his excitement. I followed his gaze and discovered the gleaming, otherworldly allure of the Tesla Model Y. “Isn’t that the one you mentioned is trying to be the ‘Apple of cars’ or something?”
“Sorta, boy,” I replied, attempting to get a closer look amidst the crowd. It was an overwhelming experience. Everywhere I turned, cameras were flashing, there were hushed whispers about deals and investments, and the unmistakable scent of new car interiors.
I overheard a couple of gentlemen dressed in their best Sunday polos: “Quite affordable (RM199k) for a Tesla, ain’t it?” The other nodded enthusiastically, likely already calculating his finances.
As much as I wanted to join in and give my opinion (old habits die hard), I refrained. This was their moment — the excitement of a new discovery, the promise of a cleaner future.
Hayek, always the curious one, tugged at my sleeve. “Didi, why is everyone going crazy over a car?” Before I could come up with a fatherly explanation, a stranger in the crowd chimed in, “Kid, this isn’t just a car. This is THE car. It’s a Tesla!” The way he said ‘Tesla’ made it sound like he was talking about some kind of mythical creature.
“Didi, do you remember when you used to talk about Apple and Microsoft?” Hayek interrupted, reminding me of the many times I drew parallels between tech companies and everyday life.
Ah, those two. They didn’t just make great products. It was about securing a rock-solid market position, to the point that even when their latest offerings weren’t groundbreaking, they still had people lining up.
Similarly, while the government is urging everyone to go green and embrace electric vehicles, I can’t help but wonder if this might, just might, dim Tesla’s star. What if electric cars become as common as, let’s say, a Proton Saga? Where does that leave Tesla?
Hayek’s voice snapped me back from these thoughts to reality. “Didi, do you think we could trade your bike for the car? Just imagine showing up at school in a Tesla!”
I chuckled, giving him a look that said ‘over my dead body’. “Boy, the day I swap my Yamaha MT09 for a Tesla, pigs will fly.”
As we walked back home, Hayek continued to share facts about Musk, and I had to admit, some of that admiration had rubbed off on me too.
“Didi, do you know what makes Musk really cool?” Hayek’s eyes sparkled with innate childish wisdom. “He doesn’t just dream big, he goes after it. Like, really goes for it!” And I thought, well, the boy’s got a point.
In many ways, the man is a modern-day Leonardo da Vinci. He doesn’t limit himself to one field but dabbles in everything that piques his curiosity. As Hayek constantly reminds me, there’s solid technology and vision behind Musk’s endeavors. Tesla isn’t just about fancy electric cars. It’s about a sustainable future. SpaceX isn’t just about rockets; it’s about the human dream of exploring the stars.
If I may put on my “educator hat” for a moment, shouldn’t our schools and universities start discussions about Musk? Instead of merely teaching from textbooks, what if we exposed our children to the real-world applications and innovations of thinkers and doers? Imagine taking a group of students to see the Tesla Model Y, not just as a product but as a result of Musk’s way of thinking.
One thing I’ve learned during my years at Goldman Sachs is the beauty of free-market capitalism and vision. Did Musk wait around for a government subsidy to start Tesla or SpaceX? No. He recognised the potential, the gap in the market, and he went for it.
Governments can allocate as many resources as they want to a problem, but if there isn’t that spark — the intangible drive — it’s all in vain. Besides, isn’t it usually the government’s policies that slow down innovation? I mean, waiting for a bureaucrat to give the thumbs up? This is the mindset we should instill in our young ones. Let people dream, push boundaries, and make a mark.
Speaking of making a mark, one of my favourite anecdotes about Musk, which Hayek never tires of telling, is about the naming of the Tesla models.
“You know, Tesla! The cars Elon Musk makes!” he said with that look kids have when they think adults are a bit slow. “They’ve got the Model S, the Model 3, the Model X, and the Model Y. Put them together, and it spells ‘S3XY’!”
Now, if you’re like me, someone more comfortable with spreadsheets than pop culture, this might be news. So, leaning in, I asked, “Alright, where’s the E?”
Hayek’s grin grew wider. “Ah, that’s the best part. Musk wanted to name one of the models ‘E’, so together, they would spell ‘SEX’. But Ford, another car company, already had a Model E. So Musk named his ‘3’ instead because it looks like a backward ‘E’.”
As we approached home, his enthusiasm showed no signs of waning. “When I grow up, I want to be like Musk,” he declared. Looking at him, I couldn’t help but think that we need our kids to look up to these innovators, to be inspired, and to believe that they too can make a difference.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the New Sarawak Tribune.
