I like to keep an open mind to other cultures, viewpoints and philosophies and recently listened to Pema Chödrön’s 3-CD set “Getting Unstuck” during my recent road trip to Milwaukee. It was recommended by a favorite client of mine.
Pema Chödrön (formerly known as Deirdre Blomfield-Brown) is an ordained Buddhist nun in the Tibetan vajrayana tradition, and a teacher in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa. The goal of her work is the ability to apply Buddhist teachings in everyday life.
I hate to boil the whole of Buddhism down to one principle, but my experience is limited to this CD set and the gist of the application of Buddhist teachings in everyday life is quite similar to a quote I cited in my last post at Roosh Five:
It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad, but rather regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who would rob us of today.
That is to say, my takeaway was learning to be “present” as Pema Chödrön puts it, and I thought the audio CD and another recent experience was relevant to the discussion in my previous “Matrix” post.
Now, watch as I turn this whole concept into a justification for the rental of a motorhead boy toy.
Friday, two colleagues and I rented Harleys (mine was actually a 1300cc Yamaha V-Star if you must know) and rode from downtown Minneapolis, headed East, and toured both sides of the Minnesota/Wisconsin border, Wisconsin side down to Pepin and back up the Minnesota side. Our tour terminated in Stillwater where we joined the festivities of Lumberjack Days, already in progress.
We put on a few hundred miles, stopping for whatever reason we saw fit; a beer, a view, or a funnel cloud (we think) over lake Pepin in Lake City.
The essence of riding a motorcycle is the freedom you feel. The disconnection. It’s not just the warm wind buffeting your face, the soundtrack of the big-cans and pipes, the copious torque available at the flick of a wrist or the 360-degree unimpeded view. It’s the fact that done right, a bike ride is on no one’s schedule but your own. One caveat: in the interest of self-preservation, your constant attention to the now is required. Hence, motorcycling requires you to be “present”; or else.
We had no radios, no CB’s, and our Swiss Army Personal Digital Assistants, with their chirps, buzzes and warbles fell on deaf ears buried in the depths of our saddle bags.
I observed one of my colleagues light a cigarette at a red light and smoke it behind the windscreen at highway speeds, but I have never once seen anyone talking on a cell phone or reading a newspaper or texting on a motorcycle. It’s against the laws of nature, I’m sure of it.
As such, we would go as much as a couple hours at a time without connection to the modern world, the fact that we were riding fuel-injected hogs with trip computers and electronic ignition, notwithstanding. Completely incommunicado.
In fact, we rarely even spoke to each other. It was us, the road, the sun and the aural interplay of the throaty rumble and crack of our pipes as we rode in staggered formation through the winding two-lane highways along the river and it’s bluffs that make Western Wisconsin and Southeastern Minnesota some of the most popular and scenic territory for bikers.
Calls went unanswered. Text messages failed to generate urgency. Emails stacked themselves neatly. Severe weather warnings went unheard. The stock market did what it does; just without us on this day.
And it was good.
There I was, driving a 1000 HP Lingenfelter Z06 Corvette at 250 MPH…well actually it was a Geo Metro at 32 MPH, but let’s not get into nit picky details, the essense of driving a car is the four wheels they have…..the fact remained that I was driving a fuel injected supercar.
Cut!
Is this a draft of an Al Franken commercial, or what?
Heh…
warm wind buffeting your face
I don’t let warm (or cold) wind buffet my face when I ride. I tried that one time on a freeway in 55 degree weather. Pleasant with 0-10MPH wind, agonizing at 60MPH, to the point I had to get back off the freeway after 1/2 mile due to the temp AND the painful wind rushing against my ears. I feel naked without a helmet if I am going farther away than around the block. BUT…to quote Sequel on Anti-Strib….I ain’t saying….I’m just saying.
They make helmet mounted communicators so you can talk to your passenger and/or bike to bike; also plug in your ipod, or talk on the cell via bluetooth.
But I’m sure you already knew that.
I want one for communications when I take the oh-so-rare pleasure ride with a passenger, and the even more oh-so-rare pleasure rides with another rider.
Didn’t know you rode (or used to, or whatever). That’s very cool. I’ve done a couple trips down in the Red Wing-Winona-Pepin-Wabasha region on both sides of the river. That’s some of the best scenery in the state down there.
Doh. I need to start reading the poster identity here now. I assumed this was Mitch. Hence my “Wow, Mitch actually DOES ride! COOL!!” initial reaction.
No biggie.
I once road my Sportster from Coon Rapids to W St.Paul on a 28 deg morning in November. No helmet.
When I got to my place in W St. Paul I had to crawl up the stairs. My legs wouldn’t work.
Fear not, Bill. I made the same mistake last week. We must adjust our paradigm to a multiple SITD identity.
Hey, Roosh–
You need to get a 2-wheeled horse on a more permanent basis, it would be cool to share the road sometime.
To all those who wouldn’t drive in 50 degree weather, I have but one term for you– WUSSY! :-)~
I drove to work in 38 degree weather–and damn it–I LIKED IT! Builds character.
Carry on.
You got trouble with 50 degree weather? Wimps.
Blue Ridge Parkway. Early fall. A Goldwing and tricked out Sportster cruising on twisty roads. Good times, man, good times, especially when your riding partner is your dad.
You need to get a 2-wheeled horse on a more permanent basis, it would be cool to share the road sometime.
I’m a financial advisor. Rent those things that depreciate; own those that appreciate!
I would love to rent another hog and share the road with you sometime!
I knew you could rent Harleys but I didn’t know you could rent a 1300 V-Star (I’m on a 1100 now and I’d like to sample the up-side of life). Where?
.
http://www.eaglerider.com/ is a national franchise. I accessed them at The Hitching Post in Hopkins. They have BMWs, Hondas (inc Goldwings) and Yamahas.
Old shovelheads & skirtsters had one great advantage in cold weather riding: At a long stop light you could wrap your (leather clad) hands around the front cylinder & put some of that waste heat to good use.