Titanic Post

I have a friend who has an aversion to motorcycles. Now I can understand this in part, because, even though I am a rider, there are certain kinds of motorcycles that I don’t like either. Foremost among those are those street legal racing bikes that are sold to any fool who has the money. Some of these bikes have a top speed of up to 180 miles per hour. The riders, squids in protective T-shirts and 1800 cc egos, some sporting stickers boasting, “Loud Pipes Save Lives,” are subject to a Darwin-like attrition rate, yet they are still in the gene pool.

I have the same ambivalent feelings about these kinds of bikes as I have about assault rifles. I believe that anyone should have the right to own one as long as they are as wise and responsible as I. You can see the problem with that one very easily, because if I had one, I would surely want to see if it really would go that fast or shoot that many bullets so fast. Other bikes I don’t particularly like are the pretentiously stylish ones. I pretend that I’m not pretentious and therefore ride a “sensible” ugly bike. (more…)

Long past time for a ride, and Tuesday was a good day for it. Little wind and plenty of sunshine. Just as I don’t know where this post is going, I didn’t know where the ride was taking me. At nine in the morning, the heat suggested I should ride up into the mountains. All the dirt roads and trails in the forest were closed because of severe fire danger and I was on the V-Strom, which prefers asphalt over dirt. Everything was good. Reaching Cloudcroft, NM at just under 9000 ft. (ca. 2700m)elevation, it was chilly enough to add a liner to my jacket to keep warm. (more…)

Lately, I’ve been working on my much neglected KLR650 and am now neglecting the V-Strom. Although having two motorcycles in the garage sounds enticing, polygamy is not as easy as you may think. The V-Strom, the newest addition to my family, has been the focus of most of my attention as far as material things go.

I have never thought much about polygamy, at least in the sense of how problematic it could be in practice. In theory, according to the scientific viewpoint, when you are with one, you are not with the other. Metaphysically, I suppose you could be with both at the same time. I do know that you can’t ride two motorcycles at once. Hmmm, I wonder where this metaphor is taking me? (more…)

This weekend, I spent some time in the mountains. It was cool (literally) and peaceful and it smelled good, too. I need to go there periodically to keep my head straight and to put myself in a proper perspective regarding the rest of the universe.

Did you realize that planet earth is already in outer space and that we don’t really need space ships to explore space? This weekend my theme was materialism and how it makes me unhappy and dissatisfied and worry about money and things. I came to the conclusion that most people don’t really enjoy the material things they have collected, as they are too busy working and earning money for their future security to have much pleasure in anything.

I do buy things that give me pleasure. I enjoy my motorcycles. The things I do on a motorcycle give me pleasure. A bank account does not. Eating a slice of fresh mozzarella with a home-grown tomato, basil, and garlic sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and live virgin olive oil gives me pleasure. Life insurance does not. Technically this makes me a materialist, but not a very secure one.

There is an interesting correlation between security and freedom. Actually they are inveresly correlated. It appears that the more security you have, the less freedom and vice-versus. Makes you wonder what our Department of Homeland Security is all about, doesn’t it? It makes me wonder, too, why we allowed them to do it to us again. By ‘them,’ I mean our political leaders, although I don’t really have a need to be led by anyone. I don’t follow other peoples goals well. I don’t even follow my own goals well.

In the mountains, walking along a pine covered trail, I realized that the trick with living is to live artistically, to be able to love, and be loved, while at the same time avoiding narcissistic loneliness, crippling addictions, or fanatical allegiance to some grand overlying goal.  I have just discovered a philosophy of life that allows me to go ride anytime I want.  And how easy it was!

Monday morning was beautiful and sunny–a perfect day for a motorcycle/camping trip. I had planned on two nights camping in the Gila Wilderness of Southwestern New Mexico. I say planned because “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley…” as Bobby Burns said so well. (more…)

After the game, the king and the pawn both go into the same box.

~ Italian saying

The death of twelve miners and one serious injury in West Virginia coal mine accident is but another reminder of our temporary presence on this planet. I was struck by a note written just before one of the miners died, saying that he was ready to die. The note’s tone was that of peaceful resignation. Other news stories stressed that death was a constant presence with the miners and their families, if not the mine owners. What struck me was the implied dignity and serenity in the face of death—in stark contrast to most American’s fear of death and dying.

Motorcyclist have a similar, although unspoken, closeness with death. Anytime a rider gets off his ride at speed there is an excellent chance of a fatality or serious injury. Because this possibility does go mostly unspoken, I’m not sure that it is universally accepted in the consciousness of riders that we could be killed at any time when we are on the road. I know that we all relish the excitement of riding which comes in part from the inherent danger, but if the possibility of death is accepted, I think it is pushed so far into the edge of the realm that it couldn’t be considered in the consciousness. Some are so bent on security that they are insecure. Others fear death.

Nietzsche said: The greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment of existence is: to live dangerously!

Miners live with death and without fear—one can hope that their lives are full.