Making Sense of Life with a Vespa ET4 Scooter

Learning on the Road

No matter how diligently I work at managing my life it persists in being messy and chaotic. I used to believe that there was a simple solution, a process by which I could forever be free of the noise and just relax and be happy. Definitely one of those beliefs emerging from the childish part of myself that wants everything to be easy. Life is delivered moment by moment. And the choices I make right now, in this moment, are the ones that affect my life.

Riding scooters and motorcycles provides the unencumbered space that makes it possible to understand what living in the moment is. And sometimes lets me carry it off the road and into the rest of my life.

It was a beautiful morning when I pushed my Vespa ET4 out of the garage to embrace the day and go for a ride.

The Ghost of Money

Standing along the road I was struck by how free I felt. Unbothered by anything. It’s easy to believe riding did that. Some kind of magical wind therapy that clears the mind. And temporarily it will do that. But there’s a more lasting peace that comes from actually dealing with the things that make me miserable. Like money.

For much of my life I’ve been dogged by concerns about money, diet, exercise, and God. Each simple in their expression and complicated in application due to the myriad faults and defects in my construction. Regardless, they are all subject to the choices I make. If my awareness recognizes and accepts the problem and more importantly if I am willing to make changes to address them.

I always hated thinking about money. It made my brain itch. I had bad habits and beliefs. I never balanced the checkbook. When things got out of control I closed the account and opened a new one. And my approach to budgeting and spending was based on an off-handed comment from my dad, “Just spend your money and when you need more go out and make some.” I took that as permission to be unconcerned with money and ended up financially irresponsible. And spent decades miserable because I never knew what I had or if I would have enough to get to payday.

About ten years ago I stumbled upon Dave Ramsey on the radio. And just like the training model I embraced from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation to keep me safe on the road, his 7 Baby Steps approach gave me a road map to change my relationship with money. It’s funny how a little advice from others can affect my life. All I need is to be open. A challenge for someone stubborn like me. But I’m improving and after some awareness, attention, and changes I find myself in Baby Step 7.

Chores and Errands

Of all the machines in my garage the Vespa ET4 is hands down the easiest one to handle running chores and errands. It’s light, nimble, quick, and plenty fast enough for just about any responsibility I’ll need to chase down. I know how capable it is but I was still shocked while riding down a main road that it hummed along at 60 MPH. And the ride was smooth and stable.

Recharge my Battery

This little scooter is uniquely able to make me smile. Whether it simply confounds my expectations or relies on the effortless nature of the ride, my spirit always soars the moment I’m on it. It feels as though a heavy coat is being lifted from my shoulders, leaving me suddenly lighter and more agile. That feeling alone makes me wonder why I don’t ride it all the time.

The other machines in the garage can provide similar escapes, but none match the Vespa ET4. The Vespa GTS250 comes close, but its sheer size and power tend to overwhelm the experience. The gossamer feelings that lead my spirit to soar surface more reliably on the ET4 than on any other machine I own.

Yet, I easily forget this—evidenced by the far more abundant miles accumulated on my other scooters and motorcycles.

Liberty Eats

Just down the road from home is a food trailer known as Liberty Eats. I’ve passed it many times on my way to other establishments to eat but on this morning hunger got the best of me and I enjoyed a bacon, egg, and cheese panini sandwich. Writing now I can taste it and I’m hungry again.

So I sat outside and ate and watched the world rush by.

Wrestling with the Existential Questions

At the end of the day I stop to admire the long streams of light from the setting sun. In the quiet of my mind those old familiar questions of meaning, identity, mortality, and time softly whisper. Sometimes the thoughts are welcome visitors. And sometimes something akin to a pack of snapping dogs at my feet.

At the end of the day I was content that whatever brought me to this place, to this moment in time, I’m content with the result. The little scooter played a role I’m sure but I can’t always quantify the process. What I can say is that riding the Vespa ET4 scooter always brings me to a good place. No further understanding or explanation is needed.