Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
Buddhist Proverb
Being gripped by sadness is an awful state, but one that fades with riding and writing.
There exists two possible options when I write a blog post. The first and most simple is when I write about the experience and feelings during the actual ride pictured. And the second is when I write about other feelings triggered while looking at the pictures.
My friend Paul and I were headed to Kissell Motorsports for my Vespa’s annual Pennsylvania safety inspection.
It’s funny how different a photograph can look between the moment I made it and when I am writing about it. The sun is shining, birds are singing, there is food at hand, and money in my pocket. In terms of what’s required to survive in this world I want for nothing.
Yet I’m gripped by sadness.
The sweep of an open landscape can generate a sense of hope and possibility. Often, perhaps always, when I stop to make these kinds of photographs I feel a thrill. And I did on that morning. But looking at them now, influenced by the rattling chaos of life, I see none of that.
Scooter and Motorcycle
Like cats and dogs that find a way to live in harmony, there really are no reasons why riders of all stripes can’t do the same. And while there are specific types of two-wheeled adventure that may rule out some pairings, most of the time there’s little issue between a 250cc and 1400cc riding together.
It was a beautiful morning with much to see on the way to Kissell Motorsports. The road led through bucolic farm landscapes, along mountain ridges and creeks, and through forests and small towns. A fine trip making the fact that the service is 40 miles from home seem more like a gift than a hardship.
A Quiet Breakfast
A stop for food is often factored into a ride. On this route, the options for cafes and coffee shops are limited so we packed some food to eat along the way. Paul found a rock to sit on along Spruce Creek, a famous trout stream in Central Pennsylvania. We dined just a few miles downstream of the exclusive HomeWaters Club.
Writing now, and even when I made the photograph, I felt grateful to have such a friend. Life is too challenging to try and go it alone.
The Vespa Top Case
Functionality is one of the things I like best about the Vespa. In almost any situation it displays a utility of performance and support that makes riding it pleasant and relaxed. I resisted adding a top case to my scooter for a long time because I didn’t like the way they look. When I finally did, I kicked myself for being so foolish. The GIVI E370 provides lots of room for tools, cameras, emergency gear, rain suit, and food.
On this trip my humble lunch was a sandwich, apple, carrots, and the ever present chocolate chip cookies.
Woodland Retreat
Had there not been an appointment to meet we probably would have lingered a bit longer. One reader who wishes to remain anonymous and below the internet radar may look at this picture and say to himself, “A perfect place for a hammock.”
I’m still not convinced.
Suzuki Intruder 1400
What can I say?
Paul changes/adds/subtracts scooters and motorcycles from his life often. On this ride, he was on a newly acquired Suzuki Intruder 1400. It looks and sounds good and he says it’s fun to ride. To me, it has that sort of classic motorcycle look I associate with the Harley Sportsters from the 70s.
This one he’s giving to his brother. Paul’s already acquired another motorcycle to replace it that will I’m sure appear in some upcoming blog post.
Kissell Motorsports
At this point in writing this post, I’m no longer gripped by sadness. Whatever had me by the throat has vanished. Writing has a similar power to riding in relieving suffering. It redirects the brain in a way that must be similar to restarting a computer. The only difference is writing is always hard, and sometimes uncomfortable work for me. Riding on the other hand always comes with a thrill and excitement.
I understand why so many writers drink.
It’s nice that Kissell Motorsports will sometimes accommodate a “while-you-wait” service. I was hoping nothing emerged from the inspection that required ordering parts. The low beam burned out on the way down (I checked it before we left) and fortunately they had a bulb for the Vespa in stock.
A SIDE NOTE: A couple of days ago I saw on their Facebook site a cryptic message about something new in the showroom. The graphics used the Italian flag colors and the message concluded with “Grazie.” My tail started to wag as I did some mental calculations.
BMW, their main line of motorcycles, would probably not want them selling machines that compete directly — Ducati, Aprilia, and Moto Guzzi. And with so many PowerSports dealers seeming to add Piaggio and Vespa scooters to their showrooms alongside Harleys and other motorcycles, I’m hopeful that Kissell Motorsports will again be a Vespa dealer.
Or maybe all it meant was they were going to add a cappuccino machine to the showroom.
Ice Cream at the Chill and Grill
The ride home was slow and steady, with a stop for a hot fudge sundae at the Chill and Grill. That part of the ride is fuzzy now, I don’t remember much. Paul did a roadside repair of his gas cap at the picnic table as we enjoyed the ice cream but after that, the trip over the mountain and on toward home is a blur.
Sometimes a blur is a good thing. It can mean nothing is gaining on me and life is relatively serene. And right now, as I draw this essay to a close, I feel great.
Adjusting my mental, emotional, and spiritual state is one of the reasons I ride. It’s also why I blog.
Cheap therapy.
Hey Steve… I think that the more sensitive and empathetic one is, the more likely they are to be visited by sadness. From a Taoist standpoint, those qualities really are opposing sides of the same coin. To my thinking, you’re ability to dance with them both makes you… and us, so very fortunate.
Hmmm, I’ll have to think about that. I’ve never considered myself either sensitive or empathetic but then my definition may be narrow and simplistic. But I understand what you’re saying.
And thank you for the kind words.
I have a topcase on my Vespa but I have as yet not used it to transport food. Need to give that a try sometime.
I’ve transported so many things in the top case. Groceries, burgers, lunch, dinner, milk, ice cream, and more. I need to clean it out right now. It’s disorganized and full of “stuff” that I don’t really need.
A single tree in a open field always brings me solace. I see as an old soul or sometimes a young wise one, standing tall offering branches like open arms, welcoming you to come in, set in the shade, and enjoy the calm and cool before you continue on your journey.
I am not a fan of the looks of a top case. I have several sitting on the shelf.
While not as obsessive as I once was, I still have trouble passing a lone tree. They must resonate in me some cosmic meaning I don’t yet understand.
I still don’t love the looks of a top case. But I can’t deny their utility. Especially since my seat quit locking ten years ago!
“my tail started to wag”, glad to see the sadness ebb enough in the writing/reading to allow such acts of happiness…
I didn’t share much about the source of the sadness. Suffice to say, there’s little I can do about it other than accept the course life has set. Reality gets muddled when I focus on what I want rather than what is.
Plus, who’s tail wouldn’t wag at the idea that a Vespa dealership may open nearby??
They say….Go to your happy place….Looks like the Chill and Grill could easily fit the bill….Thanks again for the post Steve Hot fudge can fix a lot of stuff sometimes ,if only for a little while .Happy Happy Trails to all you riders ●☮
The Chill and Grill is 30 miles away. I can get hot fudge sundaes just three miles up the road at Meyer Dairy. And I do!
I’m impartial to the look for a top case, but the functionality of one jumps ahead of how it may or may not look. As a female rider who sometimes rides pillion I appreciate the feeling of being tucked in securely between the rider and top box. . Nothing worse than the feeling of falling off the back. Plus, I like having a place to put fresh fruits and vegetables from the Farmer’s Market. Even though my Vespas have ample storage under the seat, it tends to heat the fruits to where they no longer look fresh. Top box wins.
We’re in much the same line of thought when it comes to top cases. And I know exactly what you mean about fresh fruit and vegetables under the seat.
The top box functionality wins. On my BMW K75 I have side cases. They are much more frustrating to use.
On a silent rock
the green view across the stream
a sandwich in tow
For some reason Tom, your first attempt to post went to my Spam folder. Not sure why. Maybe it didn’t like the first word capitalization!
So simple Steve. If you feel a sad spell coming, hop on the BMW. Riding it requires watching the tach, listening to the engine and enjoy the speed. A good bike ride will sublimate depression and lift your spirit. Twist and go is nice, as a mood lifter shift and go can be better.
I wish I could just jump on the scooter or motorcycle whenever I noticed a sad spell on the horizon. Unfortunately, circumstances don’t always allow me to be away. I have to adjust my expectations and find other ways to ward off those spells. I’ve been resistant to the need to change but change I must.
Change is a bitch.
Sadness seems so sweet and sour and possessed of an inexplicable seductive attraction. What is it about sadness that so attracts us, is it the guaranteed rebound induced by the therapeutic scoot or it’s subjective alternate? Can you truly enjoy the sweet without enjoying a bit of the sadness. That top case thing has become an indispensable for me, a real go to. Kind of like turning your moto into a scooter with all that oh so convenient under seat storage. The tag along lunch has become the norm for us too this past year or so as we were never sure as to what might be open for business. Pack a Moto sized chair and choose from any one of a number of bucolic vantage points, reflect a moment or two and the Worlds your oyster. We feel that as we return to “normal” some of the oh so positive adaptions we have made over the past year plus will stick and become standard operating procedure. Or so we would like to think?
I think all the things you’ve shared help explain the seductive nature of sadness. For sure I can’t appreciate happiness without understanding sadness. And most of the time, a ride, a walk with a camera, or sitting down to the blank page to write will help lessen the suffering I may be feeling.
The top case is a must have for me. On the motorcycle the side bags play that role but they are not nearly as useful. They’re frustrating to open and close as often as I do the topcase on the scooter.
Normal? Who knows what that might be. Ask me next year!
I think that sadness is hugely seductive. It is most often, intensely felt which, is opposite to fog like state many of us find ourselves walking around in lately. The intensity of our feelings remind us what it feels to vibrate with life.
I agree with you Terry. The fog is prevalent. And it takes something intense to see through it.
on a silent rock
the green view across a stream
a sandwich in tow
You’ve written a haiku that captures the essence of the stop for lunch. Thank you for sharing that. You’ve managed to share the feeling as I danced around it.
And there I was, pleased I could get a full 24 hours air conditioned cooling in the van off the house batteries. And Mexican food for lunch appeared from a surprise stop. And Rusty has got used to the van and really likes it at last. And now back at work fiddling till retirement in just 284 days.
Everything happens for a reason (it doesn’t but you only understand that when you see people going blind in India from black fungus and ask yourself what the reason might be).
Chin up. Life is random and you drew an ace by happenstance, as did I..
It’s good to see your presence here Michael. I think about you often as I see your world through your photographs shared on Instagram.
You’re absolutely right, we both drew aces. Even the worst of experiences don’t dim that truth. As you approach your retirement I’ll be approaching five years of retirement. The days fly by. Time is a scary thing. And as you say, each day is random at some level. Chin up, I’m paying attention, and excited to see what’s next.
Best wishes to you, your wife, and Rusty as you work and travel on toward retirement!