Gratitude
This is a story about riding a motorcycle and giving thanks.
It’s easy for me to overlook the good things in my life. I blame the rush and chaos of everyday living, but the truth is — giving thanks is a habit I’ve not fully developed. Just as Ebenezer Scrooge learned to keep Christmas in his heart every day of the year, so should I learn the same in regard to Thanksgiving.
I ventured out on the motorcycle on a fine, crisp November morning at 35F. Gazing into a blue sky I felt gratitude for having another day to live.
The underlying, original motivation for Thanksgiving may have been pure, but my experiences of the day growing up were one of holiday, complete with family traveling to be together, a huge meal, arguments at the table followed by football on television and grown men asleep in the living room.
There’s nothing wrong with any of that. But a fundamental ingredient was absent the day — gratitude.
Contemplation
The BMW K75 drinks more gasoline than the Vespa scooter. The red light on the dash indicated it was time for fuel. I’ve not fully determined exactly how much is left in the tank but at 100 miles I’ve used about half my fuel. In reality, I don’t like seeing the red light.
While riding I’m thinking of how much luck, hard work, and good fortune, often beyond my control, has delivered me to where I am at this moment. And being grateful for those twists of fate requires me to be open to observation.
And not just of the machine and I traveling down the road, but of both the inner and outer lives I inhabit.
But what does this have to do with riding a motorcycle?
Questioning and Exploration
Looking at a real estate listing for a small farm just 20 miles away revealed a location with which I was unfamiliar. Exploring new places is one of the keen joys of riding a scooter or motorcycle. Frost from the previous night had melted by the time I found myself riding on this gravel road. In places, just enough moisture to create a thin film of mud that seemed exceedingly slippery for the touring tires on the K75.
I’ve learned to question things when I ride. The traffic, road surface, lines through a curve, potential hazards and a host of other things peculiar to riding a motorcycle. These acts of contemplation have reached beyond the ride and into other aspects of my life. My thought processes have changed and I often find myself in an unexpected state of being unchained from belief and conviction.
I am suddenly asking questions and wondering if it’s possible that everything I know and believe may be false.
Transformation
The same stretch of road can be transformed by a slight change of light or weather. I pulled the BMW off the road to shoot a picture of the blue sky at the beginning of this post. I was mesmerized by the dazzling blue sky.
And then I saw the sign that promises transformation.
I’m not saying everything I believe to be true is false, but the willingness to raise the question brings its own rewards — honesty, courage, calm, forgiveness and thankfulness to name just a few.
I’ve found riding soothes whatever savagery dwells within me. It isn’t magic, but rather through a process of questioning.
A transformation. And for that I’m giving thanks.
Life with a Motorcycle (or scooter)
Riding up a muddy lane made worse by recent traffic of truck and combine reminds me of how much the BMW K75 is not something I want to ride off the pavement. Even if I had more aggressive tires, it’s just too heavy for me to handle in such uncertain landscapes. I want my riding to be enjoyable, safe in terms of doing my best to manage risk, and grasping as much of the unexpected joy and thrill as I can.
I don’t want it to be a mindless activity. So when I ride, when the wind strikes my body and my senses ignite with a crackle and my spirit soars, I want to always be reminded of how grateful I am to be alive. If even for a moment everything is burned away and I glimpse the notion of heaven.
On Thanksgiving Day I pray to remember gratitude.
I ride. I live. I give thanks.
Best wishes for a day of Thanksgiving to each and every one of you.
Thank you Steve as always for your insights. I often have to prod myself with a saying of my own: Help me be grateful for all I have, rather than curse that which I do not. I refuse to let commercialism take over today and the beginning of the holiday season.
I’ll not ride today nor tomorrow due to the horrific traffic and mad rush to buy, buy, buy – more things. I suspect Sunday morning I’ll throw my leg over my two wheels for some much needed wind therapy and no doubt will begin humming Christmas songs.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Mike
It’s a real challenge to resist the constant bombardment of messages telling us that if we just had more we would be happy. A new car, another gadget, a newer device, a bigger house, whatever. And the chase for things can blind me to being grateful for what I have already. And for me, it’s more than enough.
I could ride today but have no time. Have to cook some things to take to Thanksgiving dinner. The oven goes on in about 45 minutes!
Thank you for good wishes, thought provoking writing and pictures. I’m no holy Willie but I thank God everyday for this life, and the health to do the physical outdoor things I enjoy including my electric bike and Vespa. I’ll be 76 in Feb.
If it would just stop raining. Thanks again.
I hope you have many more years of health and happiness. To keep riding, and living and experiencing what comes your way.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for the Ride, I felt safe with Your words and the Beauty with Your lens. Happy Thanksgiving
Thanks Mike.
Once you get a scooter of your own you can have your own rides!
Finally! You hung the Krausers on the BMW. Bags make a bike more than just a a two wheeled sports car. Happy Thanksgiving Steve. Stay healthy and mobile. The world is a beautiful place.
At first I didn’t like the way the Krausers looked on the motorcycle but I have to admit they’ve grown on me. And it’s so nice to be able to haul a ton of extra gear in case the weather changes.
Hope you have a fine Thanksgiving. Indeed, the world is a beautiful place!
“O give Thanks unto the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever.” Wishing you and your family a Blessed Thanksgiving!
Thank you Karl. We’ve been blessed.
I think the bike looks better with the Krausers. But that’s just me. When I had the RT, it looked unbalanced without the luggage on the back. So I left them on all the time. Having the storage space was nice. Additional riding gear and tools were always available…
I have to organize a bit and determine what should be those cases. It’s on my growing list of things to do.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Oh yeah, happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours Steve. Thank you too for another thought provoking post. I know that I often take this generous life of mine for granted, even moan a bit the odd overcast winter morning, without fully appreciating how fortunate we are. Ride safe and stay warm eh!
It’s so easy to take things for granted. When I stop and think a bit, like you, I realize how fortunate I am.
Be well and be safe on the road when it’s warm enough to ride!
Steve,nothing to add to comments.thanks for reminding all of us of our good fortune. We are in our late seventies and still healthy amen! Peace and safety from nh.
Thanks John. Good fortune is a gift. And partially, I think, an issue of attitude and outlook. One person’s good fortune may seem inadequate to another. I try and accept whatever comes my way as a gift of being alive. My job is to experience it. Best wishes to you and your family for a fine holiday season.