Riding is always peaceful, drenched in solitude, with every care and concern washed away by mechanical sorcery and the rush of air through the mind. That’s what I tell myself when I think about riding. Standing in the middle of the road making a picture of the Vespa scooter as the morning sun sweeps across the world everything seems organized and correct with life unfolding exactly as required for me to be happy, joyous and free.
I realize I have considerable capacity for self-delusion.
The feeling persists though and I’m drawn to the road for another fix, contriving reasons to ride, and for those times I can’t ride I descend into obsessively reading ride reports and forum posts on the latest gimmicks and gadgetry for the scooter, doing anything to stay connected to the rush.
This behavior is not new and has endured since childhood. Life on the road at sixteen was different superficially — I was focused on a 1962 Ford Falcon instead of a Vespa, but the appetite to be on the road was no different than it is now though at the time I did not realize I was hooked on seeing what’s over the next rise in the road, around a sweeping curve, or when unknown paths will take me. I wonder if my need for having time alone was not forged behind the wheel of the Falcon and refined through the years up to this life on a Vespa.
Most days, I still feel like a kid.
Ford Falcon? My brother went through that “phase” as well…..small world
As your your capacity for self-delusion…..we all have it, yours just has a great eye for photography.
Did your brother have the 1964 Ford Falcon 4-door sedan with 144 cubic inch inline six cylinder engine with three speed on the tree transmission, vacuum wipers, manual choke, and tube radio that took 45 seconds to warm up? It was an engineering masterpiece.
My delusions keep things interesting…
There is thing some feel pulling at our soul. It is an irresistible lure. It is the siren song of the open road. It calls to us drawing upon us from a hidden place within, The asphalt unrolling beneath two wheels, the passing montage of olfactory stimulation and the sights which one simply cannot experience in a cage.
All these factors lead to an imperative urge to twist that throttle, hear that engine hum and be at one again with the world passing beneath inline tires, a world away from those closed up in their air conditioned, power assisted rolling coffin.
I could not say it better. You get it.
“Power assisted rolling coffin”. That’s conjures a mental image!
It is amazing that when we are alone, particularly doing something we are passionate about, that time and life takes on a very different meaning. Keep on riding!
“1964 Ford Falcon 4-door sedan with 144 cubic inch inline six cylinder engine with three speed on the tree transmission, vacuum wipers, manual choke, and tube radio that took 45 seconds to warm up? It was an engineering masterpiece.”
Sounds a lot like my Rambler American 2 door of the same era. With vacuum wipers and a worn out engine the wipers would speed up when coasting and slow to an absolute crawl when accelerating. If it was an engineering masterpiece then my scooter must be advanced alien technology. LOL.
There are those who would say that sex, money and power are the three most powerful driving forces. I would beg to differ as wanderlust has taken the number one spot above all others. Life on two wheels makes it even more powerful! Awe, the best of both worlds indeed! Have a great and powerful week, Life Is Good.