I look forward to the time when we don’t have to be divided on which side of the gay marriage thing we stand, and we can go back to the time honored tradition of personally deciding on who’s an a-hole and who isn’t. pffft, People are people.
Thoughts from my garage Read More »
You can get a good one, maybe only at an airport. He’s that guy in the corner, mostly now. Beyond that, I don’t know where. It’s worth your time.
Either way, its a great song. Avoid it, And your shoes look might look like shit.
He popped a shoeshine rag Read More »
The problem with that cop in Texas who pulled a gun at a pool party, isn’t the fact that he pulled it, or that cops are bad, or whatever it is. Or even the fine line of what rights you have and who crosses it. The whole thing boils down to respect. Show it, and you’ll get it back, I guarantee it. its human nature. It’s just how things work. When a person gets it, its almost irresistible. For both sides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mzTsCN7mNs
A thing, that maybe not so many people understand. There’s a time and a place for everything.
A level of respect, at the right time in the right place.
I’ve been to the tomb of the Unknown Solider. Right on. Good call.
I just was asked to write something for somebody, about motorcycling. I wrote why I ride just now. I don’t know if it makes any sense or not. I just wrote it, and its part of the reason why I ride.
——
Why I ride.
Honestly, I’ve been trying to answer that question for almost 25 years. I keep riding, and keep asking myself that question.
I swear there’s a riding gene. I’ve seen people who buy motorcycles over the years, and you either love it, or you don’t. If you love it, you will keep doing it. It’ll never get it out of your system. If you don’t, your bike will end up on craigslist after a few years and have 1800 miles on it. I’m not sure if it scares you, you’re unsure of yourself or how you’ll handle any given situation without 2,000 pounds of steel around you for protection, but if you don’t love it, you may not keep doing it.
I friggin’ love it. I could drone on for hours about why I love riding, and still not know why. I’ll give it a try…
Riding is being in the experience: To paraphrase Robert Persig: In a car, it’s almost like you’re watching TV. The windshield is an 80 inch screen. The weather almost doesn’t really matter. Your temperature is controlled. You have enough fuel to make a mistake, like missing a gas station. Bluetooth, Nav, cell service… You’re connected to everything that you have in your real world.
You don’t on a bike. That road below you? Its right there: you can put your foot down and touch it. You’ll watch the weather, because that effects which route you may take, or what you might need to endure. There’s no heater. You don’t get the luxury of any sort of fender bender.
Riding, to me is almost a religious experience. You do all this subconsciously I think… It’s a Zen moment: pay attention to those potholes. Watch out for the gal on her cell phone, you won’t get a 2nd chance to be wrong if she’s not paying attention. Watch the weather, because you might be riding in the rain. Fuel up after 80 miles. Check your map.
All while you’re listening to your favorite song on your ipod, and that unexpected rain storm start pelting you. It’s a beautiful thing.
When you ride, You’re not a part of the experience, you’re *IN* the experience.
I also think its why some bikes end up on craigslist. You either love riding, or you don’t.
A quail, outside the window at work today.
A brief moment, but I’m grateful that I don’t have some thing hanging over my head like that, flopping all down in your line of sight when you’re trying to get something done. Its thoughts like these, that maybe that I got nothing done at work today.
I’ve been searching all day to sum up how I feel about memorial Day. I went into work for a few hours, and figured I’d go down and see my fathers Grave. It was important to him that he not be forgotten. I passed a cemetery and saw the traffic jams, and blew it off for later.
It was easy to go get steaks to grill on our day off. It was easy to pass up the things that make you remember about this day, like passing through saving private Ryan on cable.
If I wasn’t careful, Memorial day almost just turn into a barbecue, and a 3 day weekend.
This sums up, almost exactly how I feel about memorial day. The stories of men who went into the military because of maybe a small sense of duty, or pressure, or maybe just the chance of cheaper college. That changed. These guys went into battle, fought alongside others, who ended up taking the long view.
they took that home. Learned to discard the ugly, and take the good to build a country. A family. A good place in the world. They Built businesses and families. Struggled with what they’d learned and saw. Powered it out and pressed on, mostly alone. Gave back. We’re still swinging from the nuts of the men who did that. The deserters didn’t learn a thing. The fighters did. Those are the guys I salute.
Memorial day should almost be every Day. Dad, I’ll go decorate your grave tomorrow, and take the kids. You hated traffic too. I know you didn’t need to be remembered on just one day, but every day. I can tell you we do.
My hats are off to the men and women who made the sacrifice I never made. Happy Memorial Day.
Still, my favorite riding song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlhncFCtWw8
Easy Rider – the Weight Read More »
