The Fork in the Road

Life is an endless series of choices. From the time we get up to the moment we go to sleep—what do we wear, eat, listen to on the radio, call on the phone, and on and on. I left the house this morning around 8AM with no particular destination in mind. As I rode I could feel the conflict between the part of me that wants a plan and reasoned argument for that plan and the other part of me that just wants to let go and see what is revealed.

When I came upon the fork in the road it became clear what was happening—an internal conflict was underway between a mindset that surrenders to rote routine and another that wants to be wide awake, experiencing each moment, and making conscious decisions as they are required. Riding on two-wheels forces me into the later state of mind. I cannot disconnect while riding the Vespa like I can while driving. My body and mind are actively engaged in the ride. I am consciously deciding what speed to travel at, which line to take in a curve, examining what may be behind a tree or what the driver at the intersection ahead might do. My body works together with the scooter to execute each move and I am completely alive and present. This underlies the “thrill” of riding.

What I find most amazing is that riding opens the door to this kind of awareness in other parts of my life. I find myself more present in all situations. When I drive now (something that is less and less frequent) I see the road differently. My riding awareness transfers to the cage. The conscious decision making stretches into the workplace and home and I find myself more content and less angered when things don’t work out like my automaton mind expects. It is a subtle gift of riding.

The ride today was rich. I left thinking the temperature was in the mid 60’s and would stretch into the 70’s but a half mile from the house I realized it was cold. Returned to get more clothes and had to put my rain jacket on about ten miles from home because I still didn’t have enough. So much for planning.

I rode towards Huntingdon Furnace where I passed this old mill building.

Central Pennsylvania has many such buildings and I am also wishing I could go inside to look at history. This one like most was sealed up tight. I continued towards Sinking Valley and rode over the Kettle and down into Altoona to stop and say hello to my mother and father-in-law. Scooter Bob for those regular readers. When I arrived my nephew James was washing his car and told me that Bob and Patty had gone with some friends for a bicycle ride. He told me the area they were to be riding in so I thought I would ride in that direction.

The ride home was lovely through the winding secondary roads along the Allegheny Plateau. I passed several groups of bicycles but didn’t pass my in-laws—or so I thought. When I got home there was a message from Scooter Bob asking if I had ridden through Riggle’s Gap. I did and of course one of those groups contained Bob and Patty. All those bicycle riders just look alike.

The sun came out though the wind never stopped blowing hard. The Vespa gets buffeted about so you need to hold onto the grips. I stopped to make a photograph of the lush greenery along the roads. It is an amazing time of year.

The odometer showed I rode about 110 miles this morning. My heart and mind are ready for a longer ride. I’ve been turning over in my head a ride to Akron, Ohio to visit my father’s grave. It is about 200 miles away via the Interstate highways; longer taking the roads the Vespa is comfortable with. I have not been there since we buried him over three years ago. He never liked me riding motorcycles. I thought I could show him that they the Vespa, and I, are OK.