I am being haunted by the Spirit of BMW! Someone make it stop!

 

A few weeks ago, Electronic Arts, as a promotional gimmick for a new video game, NEED FOR SPEED: Shift, announced a contest where you could win copies of the game and one lucky bastard could win a brand new 2010 BMW M3 car! All from commenting on Twitter.

 

Now, normally, I don't enter contests like this. Because I never win anything. But something made me enter this contest. A feeling like, "I can win". And sure enough, I did win- a free book bag embroidered with "Need for Speed" on day 4 of the contest, and a copy of the game on day 5. Two wins in a row!

 

And Day 6? Well, it was really odd... but I started seeing BMWs. Everywhere. I live in the midwest, and I don't normally pay attention to the cars around me- unless it's a monster truck, antique or something truly out of the ordinary. But on Day 6, I started noticing BMWs. 5 of them in the 20 minute drive to work.

 

On the way home, I noticed several more. I talked to my wife about it. She was convinced it was a good sign- maybe I had won the BMW. Three's a charm, afterall. That night, I checked Twitter- but there was no announcement as to who won the BMW.

 

For the next week, the pattern continued- I'd see BMWs where ever I went. On one scary occasion, I pulled into a Sam's Club parking space- right up to a BMW. Yet, each day, there was no annoucement for the winner. But by now I was convinced I could actually have won. I have to admit, I was pretty excited- especially given my previous track record of never winning.

 

After about a week though, the thrilling idea that maybe I could finally have won something "big", had worn off. I began to consider exactly what would happen if I did win. For one, the car is too small. I'm 6'4", have a wife, two kids and a dog. And the M3 is not a very big car. More of a two door sports coupe. Can you imagine trying to pack the family AND groceries into such a tiny car?

 

And what about licensing and registration? Insurance? Vehicle maintenance? The idea of winning the BMW became downright scary. I decided that when I won my BMW I'd have to give it up. Despite turning 42 this month, I'm not going through any mid-life crisis, so I don't need a fast sports car. And why should I tighten up the family budget and make my family suffer for a car we all couldn't ride in together? No, I decided the right thing to do would be to sell the car, and get something roomier than my current Toyota Camry. Like a minivan or something. With DVD players for the kids.

 

And that is precisely when I jinxed myself. Counting my chickens before they hatched. Dreaming about how much the kids would love having a roomy minivan to ride around in and watch DVDs in. All because the Spirit of BMW was stalking me.

 

But you know what? They still haven't announced the winner!

 

And I keep seeing BMWs! Without fail, every time I go out, no matter where I drive, I see BMWs. It's like the Sixth M3 Sense or something. "I see Beemers...."

 

I accept I haven't won the BMW. Really. Clearly, the winner has been notified and they are confirming their eligibility (age, no connection with EA, etc. etc). I'm not depressed or anything. I knew I could never win anything that big. But I did get a great game for free and have enjoyed playing it on my Xbox 360.

 

But why do I keep seeing Beemers?! Is fate taunting me that I didn't win? Can there be that many people in suburban southern Indiana all of a sudden driving BMWs?!

 

When will it end?

 

Can I enter a contest for another car? Will that make it stop? Because there is no way I could ever afford a BMW, and given their size and inherent expensiveness, I don't think I'd ever want one. Heck, if I won the lottery, I wouldn't want a Beemer- despite their perfect manufacturing, I'd opt for something more rugged, roomy and off-roady, like a big-ass SUV. a BMW is NOT a family car.

 

I'm starting to wonder if the whole M3 contest wasn't a precognitive warning of my impending death. Am I about to be run over by a BMW? Is my fate to cross the street and get slammed by some inattentive yuppie Christmas shopper?

 

Aw, Humbug...