At that moment today when the sun pierced the heavy gray sky and the world dazzled for a moment, I thought I might be in a dream. And after daydreaming of life as the winner of a mega-lottery prize then surely it’s a dream within a dream.
Riding has always sparked my imagination and I attempt no restraint or restriction and let it run wild through whatever conception it might create. I’ve been young and old, rich and poor, surrounded by wealth as a king or traveling through life as an amiable vagabond. Or perhaps just the good husband and father I try to be.
On this day I’m pleased my body and spirit has adjusted to the cold and finds 39F a comfortable condition for a ride on the Vespa scooter.
Dreams allow for an escape from the chaos of existence. For a moment things can proceed smoothly and easily and there’s time to actually appreciate the power chaos has igniting action. Kim read to me earlier this even of artists and creators finding inspiration amidst chaos and disorganization and how they often strive to create it.
I’m still wondering…
There’s a quiet mystery and beauty in the chaos created by wandering vines. If those lines are a reflection of my thoughts on a crazy day then perhaps I need step back more often to appreciate rather than resist where my mind is taking me. Step back, watch, be bored, and see what happens.
Like a researcher of life.
After adding one gallon of premium gasoline to the Vespa I had to go inside to invest four dollars in the Powerball drawing. I had a pretty good idea of how I would divide the winnings through family and friends, what foundations I would create and how I would quietly announce my retirement.
All part of a dream within a dream.
Daydreams fade when more people and vehicles draw near. The realities of scooting to Gemelli’s Bakery for bread or the pharmacy to face sticker shock are not fodder for dreams — rather a reminder of what world I inhabit.
Despite the bubble dissolving the Vespa remains a quiet servant of pleasure and discovery. It’s hard to describe, especially to non-riders, how a little, two-wheeled machine can perform magic.
And not the kind of magic involving juggling or guessing ages and weights…
The chill, the dampness, the gloomy sky conspire to create a physical challenge to surmount — the framework for a Vespa mini-adventure. After 30 thousand miles with the scooter I’m still smiling, still exploring, still appreciating the secrets a ride reveals, especially when I find myself in a dream within a dream.
Beautiful, just beautiful. I want to ride today but it’s too wet and the car will have to do for my adventure.
Brent.
again your words are a catalyst to get out there and ride….
That Powerball jackpot is obscene. If you won, the only hope you’d have of entering the kingdom of heaven would be either to buy a skinny camel and start thinking hard about how it was going to fit through the eye of a needle, or to give most of it away to Warren Buffet and Bill Gates for the Gates foundation, and either way to then cross your fingers and spend your days praying for a merciful God .
So true. Next we’ll be talking about greedy governments instead of greedy banks, for where I live the government cops a fair whack of the ticket sales. Maybe, and that’s just a tiny little maybe, it helps to reduce our taxes! Or does the income simply increase government excesses?
It’s unsettling to think about life suddenly flush with that many dollars and imagine what the days would be like. A person can only buy so many Vespa scooters…
Steve, as always I love looking at the world through your lens. You are an artist. You are a granddad and a rider … you are already rich beyond means.
There’s much to be grateful in my life. Imagining riches clouds that knowledge but only for a moment.
I unpick and re-knit my world every ride; something quite cathartic about cruising through the countryside on a scooter. It’s the best forum for dreams.
You’re right about a ride being a forum for dreams. I’ve been away from the scooter all week and though it’s raining I hope to venture out for a little ride in the morning…
I need some catharsis.
It has been 11 days since posting last. I hope it is just the weather.
Work mostly. The weather has been cold but still would be able to ride but I just spend all my energy elsewhere. Have a couple posts in mind but no gas left for those either.
Otherwise, things are well!