Familiar Ground
I can’t count how many times I’ve parked my Vespa here. An act so common that I’ve taken dedicated motorcycle parking for granted. For as much as I blabber about riding helping to be present and aware of the world, I’ve somehow forgotten to be grateful for this gift from the parking gods.
Gratitude is a powerful force. It can move a dark world into the light. I recently spent ten minutes making a list of the things for which I’m grateful. Just a quick, anything that comes to mind, list. I’m grateful for hot showers, chocolate, family, friends, money in my pocket. I’m grateful for a sunny day. Things like that. It’s a bit startling to see how much came to mind.
Next time I’m complaining about the cold, and allowing it to stack up with a lot of other negative crap, I may look at that list again. And steer clear of the dark place.
Especially with a new battery in the Vespa — I have nothing to complain about.
Reflections
Since I retired I’ve been exploring. Mostly between my ears. A little on the road. I stare in the mirror (not playing Bloody Mary) or seek out reflections of myself to photograph. A small exercise that sometimes leads to introspection and questioning. Like what I want to do with my life from this moment on. Or what’s out there waiting for me. Unfortunately, more often that I like to admit, the answer is “nothing.”
Still, there’s much for which to be grateful. My body and mind work. I have what I need to survive. I can write. Make photographs. Ride. Play with my dogs. Bother my wife. Eat sugar and caffiene. Those things don’t appear in reflections.
Still I look and wait.
Pilgrimage
Saint’s Cafe is a long time destination for weekend gatherings to talk and share photography and tell stories. Timing is important. Come too late and the place is too crowded to spread out photographs. The pressure to eat and go is high. Even if I avert my gaze away from the expectant eyes of those standing with coffee cup and bagel in hand looking for a place to sit, I feel their energy.
Sidebars and Technology
My friend Paul is excited about photography. And riding. And more topics than I can recite. He reliably tells illuminating stories; of people or travels, or perhaps his sales week on eBay. It may be about shipping issues regarding an X-ray detector or the frustration with FedEx not packaging a frequency counter correctly.
I envy the excitement. I hope to siphon a bit of the passion and put it to work in my own life.
Just part of hanging out in coffee shops. Consuming life beyond my own experience.
Around here, some seem to assume that motorcycle parking is fair game for their SUV. This is probably since some (but not all) of the signs have dates on them. Usually something like May 1 – Sept 1. You’re lucky to have access year round. I’ve also discovered that I have very little to complain about. It’s kind of nice to go to my office at the university and hear all of the complaints about how things or going or not going. I can just smile and listen and realize that it isn’t my problem.
I think Saint’s Cafe for you is kind of like College Coffeehouse is for me.
Thankfully no dates on the motorcycle signs here. Have never found anything but scooters or motorcycles in them. Campus is a completely different story. Motorcycle parking is far and few between. And almost none for visitors except on the fringe of campus. You’re not allowed to park in the garages because of “safety reasons.” They’re afraid a gate will hit a rider… So I park in town and walk to campus if I have a meeting or something.
I have the same reaction now when listening to things in the office — smile and am glad it’s not my problem anymore.
I love Saint’s Cafe — except when it’s jammed. In a college town, early mornings on weekends make it a quiet, empty place. Wonder why…
I know this may sound like a cliche, but change that ‘nothing’ to an ‘anything’ and you’ll have that problem solved. Retirement is just an opportunity to do anything you want.
Wow! What a concept! Count yourself lucky. Where I live, motorcycle-specific parking areas are as rare as hen’s teeth.
While I realize anything is possible, for me the nothing is a reflection of my lack of movement. Motivation is necessary to transform nothing to anything. The warmer weather since I wrote the post has helped greatly.
I’ve come to realize that State College, Pennsylvania is progressive in terms of motorcycle parking. And they’ve resisted charging for it. They used to have free parking in one of the garages until they figured out they could charge for monthly permits for all those students who wanted to have their motorcycles out of the weather and in guarded spaces…
Seems like an appropriate Sunday kind of post Steve. You are so right. The vast majority of us in this part of the world have it pretty good. Some of us tend to lose sight of this on occasion but a little spiritual introspection every so often helps to right our place on this orb. Thanks for the prompt, Sunday or not.
Yeah, it is easy to forget and think things are bad at times. In the grand scheme of things, my bad days are pretty damn nice…
As Jim Danniels has noted, here in Southern Ontario motorcycle specific on street parking is rare; and don’t you dare put more than one motorcycle into an automotive slot, if available. If you do, there will be two $70.00 tickets on both machines. Everything is considered a tax grab.
As for a weekend ritual a ride was a happening for thirty or more years. Now with medical problems not part of my world. Then too in the thirty years plus 10 since I stopped riding, Sunday as a traffic day is perhaps the worst day of the week for idiots behind the wheel. Entire families need to go shopping to the mall or box box store. Drive a loaded passenger vehicle with screaming children and the driver’s attention is elsewhere.
It as bad as using a mobile telephone while driving…Bottom line, weekends around here are not peaceful. As retired people we shall pick and choose destinations for weekday travel. Mind last weekend we had sleet, snow, freezing rain and cold. This weekend lovely weather, and all matter of motorcycles are out and about. No doubt the evening news shall have some note of an accident involving somebody on a motorcycle.
Steve, be thankful you area is as rural as it is; where I live is not.
It’s difficult for me to picture riding in a city. As often as I’ve driven in cities, my two-wheeled experience is negligible. Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Baltimore — that’s about it. For first timers like me it’s an adventure. But traveling daily would be a slog. I am grateful for roads you can nap on…
Hope more positive weather and news is on the way for you.
Ha ha! Yeah, try to get some of Paul’s energy. Ha ha ha ha !
He has an ample supply!
Human being versus human doing. Discuss.
That is an interesting statement. Too complex for a discussion in the comments section. I’ll have to ponder it for awhile and maybe push it out in a post.
Steve love the part about gratitude..I sold my 2006 Vespa 150 last Sunday..Your writings and photos are helping with my withdrawal.I live in a one Vespa town in Texas ,oh 0 now.l have much gratitude for the many miles and hours i rode my scooter with no spills,or harm to me or anyone else. The people in town think i must be dying to have sold my aurora blue Vespa.I’ll be back in the saddle again and sure it’ll be on another Vespa….Thank you so much for scooter in the sticks it’s so much more than just Two Wheel stuff it’s actually spititual to me !!
I’m glad you can find some Vespa withdrawal solace in the things I post here.
Hope you find yourself astride another Vespa soon. Until then, perhaps the memories will fill the loss and keep you going.
steve
Steve, I park there almost every day. 3 weeks ago someone coming out of the back knocked my bike over. 2200.00 dollars damage. Waiting for the other guys ins to pay up.
Geez, that’s terrible. They must have been really distracted to do that. Hope you get things fixed up and in place for the warmer riding soon to come.
Gratitude, and the egular recognition of just how much I have to be grateful for, have made a huge difference in my life. I hope it does the same for you, and you find that excitement again. It can be a bit daunting when the possibilities are endless. ?
Everyday there are more things to be grateful for than I can keep track. I read something earlier today that indicated that if I were responding to an article with an iPhone I was already economically ahead of 90 percent of the rest of the world.
Some nice warm weather was swept away as I went for a 34F ride to breakfast. Haven’t felt cold for a few weeks. I don’t like it!