Learning Via Boneheaded Moves

A Chain of Unfortunate Coincidence

My poor Kawasaki W650, tied down to the ambulance on its way to Bestline Powersports for surgery. Many thanks to my friend Dave for driving the bus.

How awful it is to be saddled with an aging man as a riding partner. A guy who can strike a blow to the motorcycle twice in a week. The first a careless drop onto the driveway. And now something worse and more expensive to fix. It’s obvious that there are a few lessons to be learned.

The day started at 6 AM so there was time to ready myself and the motorcycle for a long ride to breakfast. I was trying to speed things up before departure by multitasking. I was never good at it, worse now, but still I forge ahead and start all the plates spinning. It’s never good to feel rushed by the clock. Decision making becomes muddy and choices questionable.

I push the bike out to the driveway and then get the dogs breakfast. Everything is beginning to hum. I attach the battery operated air pump to the front tire and then move it to the back while I rush inside to put on my riding boots. I pull the choke on the bike and start it up, letting it warm while I put on my Merlin jacket. Back inside to make sure the dogs have water and the windows and doors are closed and locked. Back to the bike, push the choke in and listen to the engine purr. Pull the front door shut, put on my helmet and gloves and am ready to go. I’ll be on time. Barely. But I have beaten the clock.

I’m thrilled at the ride to come as I back the bike towards the street. And suddenly I feel a pressure. “Is the chain jammed?” I think. And suddenly it’s free. Strange but I’m late as I continue backing up. I’m not sure what came first, the recognition in my brain of what I did or the lump in the pit of my stomach.

Do you know what I did???

A $200 Opportunity for Personal Growth

If you thought I backed up with the inflator still attached you we right. A bike weighing nearly 450 pounds has some power in a fight between a tire valve and the bike. It didn’t take much to rip the valve right out of the tube and immediately end any hopes of riding the W650. I was going to be late now meeting Paul so I pushed the bike back into the garage and rolled out the Himalayan. Not the best pairing with a Harley but I don’t think Paul would mind.

Honestly, this little unfortunate incident had me kicking myself for the first 25 miles. How could I be so careless? The lesson is clear now. I can’t multitask without risking missing something. Normally when I check the tires I just check the tires, add air, and stay focused on that task until it is complete. Just last week I put a roll in the oven to heat for a few minutes. Instead of just waiting I went out to give the dogs water. An hour later I remembered the roll which was now a hard, black rock in the oven.

My lesson is to do one thing at a time. Stay in the moment and the task at hand. And to reinforce the lesson I had to inconvenience a friend to get the bike to the shop, hope they have a new tube, and pay $181 for the fix. The additional $19 paid for a UBER to pick up the motorcycle.

The Illusion of Control

Trying to control everything to get what I want more often leads to frustration and anger than it does to serenity and peace. My expectations of how a day should go are ok to have but not if I keep them in a vice grip. Life changes constantly and I need to as well. There is an illusion that I can control things but reality rears its head over and over again reminding me that I don’t. Seems there are lessons remaining for me to learn.

After I picked up the W650 I rode to breakfast alone. Satisfied that everything was ok, that I’m ok, and that whatever happens is ok as well. I may not always like the way a day turns, but there’s no profit in fighting reality in order to control it. There are so many metaphors for surrendering to the flow of life. Rivers, reeds bending in the wind, might oaks swaying in a storm. I need to remain flexible so when I make a boneheaded move I don’t allow it to destroy the day or my peace of mind.

A friend often suggests to me that problem that can be solved with money isn’t really a problem. I’ve been chewing on that.