Thrill of Departure
At the beginning of every Vespa ride an electric thrill travels through my body. It’s short and fleeting, but in that moment I have no cares or worries; I’m smiling and alive. It happens at the start of of adventures and is the same for a short errand. The feeling should not be confused with the joy of riding — something quite different and longer lasting. The thrill I speak of is a direct connection between the mind and soul.
Or so I like to think.
A heavy blanket of gray covered the valley this morning. White clouds of fog draped along the mountain ridges and the air was thick with rain that would not fall. The Vespa scooter and I moved slowly away from home and on into the unknown; a lack of meaning, direction or concern for the rain that might bring danger to a rider with new tires, the shiny, slippery factory coating still in place threatening a sizable loss of traction on wet roads.
On we went, riding, lost in a world of gray.
Learning to let go
I used to make plans; routes, timetables, destinations and all the related trappings of someone who refuses to let life unfold at its own pace. Often now, the ride takes shape mile by mile, like scenes in a movie, leading me along it’s own unique story. Time and circumstance have brought this about. There can be no disappointment or failure when you have no goals or expectations.
Wandering along farm lanes and country roads frees the mind from the cat and mouse game with traffic and gives it a chance to rest.
Love of the road
No matter how many times I’ve been down a road, I’m happy to embrace it one more time. It must be love. I do look forward to new territory and the excitement of discovering what’s around the next bend. But without taking some longer trips that’s becoming a more challenging goal.
And I’m beginning to wonder if goals are much use in my personal life.
Seduced by the Vespa
There are a wide range of motorcycles and scooters I could be riding. But I drank the Vespa Kool-Aid. It’s really hard for me to imagine something different in this photograph even though I can quickly name a half dozen motorcycles better suited for gravel road riding. But the Vespa is a perfect dance partner.
The scooter is running great after the it’s recent service. I still need to repaint the muffler and have to add some Super Glue to a slipping heated grip on the throttle. The grip uses a friction fit but I recall the installation instructions indicating sometimes a drop or two of glue may be needed.
A drop or two of glue is needed.
And so is a Vespa ride.
Its funny many of my friends like to ride fast – very fast, some indeed call me pokey, I am actually methodical, I like to know my route, it gives me comfort. I also like to soak up the beauty of the ride and atop when something takes my fancy. I am not much of a route planner, but that may change because of a new gps. We shall see. Enjoy your scoot! I did a lovely 110km today with a fellow mc instructor & 5 students it was blissful!
I’ve not ridden with enough other riders to gain a label but pokey certainly would be a possibility. While I’m not methodical in route planning that’s probably because I’m familiar with most of the places I ride. Could be another story if I was traveling into the unknown. Or in places where I could run out of gas, food or life.
I’ll get to enjoy the scoot today on a ride to work!
“And I’m beginning to wonder if goals are much use in my personal life.”
Goals are like posts…sometimes you pass through and complete them and sometimes you miss them.
Steve, you’ve survived more than your share of calamaties, and now are looking at the future, whatever it may hold.
This process can be horrible or perhaps be good for you.
Have you and Kim ever taken off for some place forthe day, with or without your four-legged family members?
And it would have to be in one of the four-wheeled machines, however methinks your life is in a rut, and you wish to climb the sides of the deepenig rut to escape however for whatever reason are unable to do so .
Having a blog such as you do is a responsibility, to your readers and in a way to you, yourself. You can’t escape, if only for a moment. It is an addiction in a form
which you are perhaps unable to justify.
Maybe just stop, for a few days or a week, twiddle your thumbs perhaps, do something else. Anything!
Play with that new printer you purchased, perhaps to understand its quirks
so you can print when you wish…
Don’t look upon riding the Vespa with a view to doing an article. Enjoy the experience for the excitement and the direction, not for the future blog posting.
Oh, and understand many on your blog have been there as well; some recently, others in our past so if you have queries, ask.
You bring up a lot of good points. Some I have wrestled with already and others standing near for an upcoming bout. What you call a rut I look at as a river of responsibility. We’re talking about the same thing though. And I recognize the weight some of the things I do can have — especially when I think about them as things I must do. There certainly have been rides where it seems I’m looking for the next photograph for a post. On those days, just riding for the sake of ridings seems wrong.
So I have business to attend to. Twiddling thumbs and doing something different has appeal. While Kim and I do take off without the dogs from time to time it doesn’t happen enough.
You’ve given me a lot to think about. Time to go to work now. Have a presentation to give in two hours. I should practice a bit…
To be human, is to explore.
I was watching a baby in the restaurant yesterday evening. She was less than a year old it seemed to me. As her family ate their dinner, she sat happily in the high chair exploring her world, by turns watching her own hands as she moved them in the air, then turning her head and squirming to follow people’s faces as they passed by the table. Her own face told the story. The look of rapture as she marveled at sights and focused intently on things older humans wouldn’t spare a moment’s attention for.
Most of us explore our entire lives, each in our own way. Artists often explore by narrowing their focus, discarding distracting sights, striving to relate to the essence of what it means to experience life, and to capture that essence to share with others.
When we stopped by for a visit a few years back, Paul kindly took us on a guided tour while you were at work. We saw sights that are familiar to those of us who follow your blog. But it was impossible to see your world as you see it.
To see The Sticks as you do is truly a work of art.
Thank you for sharing your art with us. It makes me realize how much there is to explore, even in places we think we know like the backs of our hands.
I absolutely agree with you about how babies explore. I try to bring that naive exploration into my own life but man it is difficult. Hard not to see through the glasses we’ve constructed for ourselves.
How we see and experience a place, event or person is unique to each of us. That’s what makes the experience of others compelling sometimes — they see so clearly what we don’t. I can accept it sometimes and others just scratch my head.
Thanks, as always David, for your kind and supportive words. I appreciate them.
My most recent ride began with no particular destination in mind, other than to go from Pennsylvania to the West Coast, and back. In between I visited 37 states, covered 15,000 miles, saw tons of sights, created lots of memories, had many Kodak moments; and all in all had one helluva good time!
My last trip before that I wanted to go to Florida and back. Unfortunately as I was heading south I turned left somewhere in Virginia, and that trip turned into a 5,000 or so mile trip exploring the New England states. Another great trip.
One trip I started in German and decided to just go see Western Europe. That trip took in many countries and many thousands of miles. More memories to last a lifetime.
No detailed trip planning has obviously worked well for me. My future plans include some ridiculously long trip from and to somewhere on a small displacement scooter. Now that’s something I’ve read about a lot, but never done. I’m sure that trip will be just as much fun and encompass just as little trip planning as every other trip I’ve ever taken!
So no detailed planning
TYPO: should read “started in Germany” – not German.
Should read: “No detailed planning works well for me!”
You’ve put the “no detailed planning” into place in a big way. I suspect it takes some unique personal traits to do that — courage, fearlessness and a strong sense of adventure. And also some freedom from the clock and calendar that would enable an unpredictable time table. I often feel hounded by the clock.
Look forward to hearing more about your big trip on a small scooter. I’m sure you’re familiar with Mike Saunders and his Honda Ruckus adventures across North America. If not make sure to check out his website: LOST WITH MIKE.
When you wrote: “The grip uses a friction fit but I recall the installation instructions indicating sometimes a drop or two of glue may be needed. A drop or two of glue is needed. And so is a Vespa ride.”
It reminded of a line from a Jimmy Buffett song, who borrowed it from a commercial jingle I believe: Brylcreem, a little dab will do you. 🙂
Some of the best rides I’ve had resulted from deviating from original destinations because something caused me to steer the motorcycle in a different direction. Or as newly-minted Grandpa, Jack Riepe, would say: “The motorcycle talked to me and we decided to go where it wanted to….”
I used to use Brylcreem as a kid. Nice for a shiny looking hairdo. My dad used Vaseline hair lotion. All of it greasy.
“The motorcycle talked to me and we decided to go where it wanted to….” — that’s exactly what happens!
Limit night riding. If you must ride at night, wear reflective clothing. It is difficult to see you and your moped in the dark.
Uh, I shouldn’t of un-spammed this…