Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650

Interviews and an Internet Persona

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Steve Williams and his Vespa GTS scooter during a winter rideWho Am I?

I ask the question often.  Usually in response to the latest puzzling act I’ve engaged.

Each word or picture posted on Scooter in the Sticks becomes part of a constructed persona tallied in the digital ether and searchable by Google, Bing and myriad other search engines. My mother only exists as a cryptic reference in a paid news site that archived obituaries. My father is one step ahead because his obit is still publicly available.

Engaging in the self-absorbed act of searching my name in Google (along with “Vespa” to differentiate from Tiger Wood’s caddy or Stone Cold Steve Austen), it’s strange to see the persona that’s presented; the reflections that resonate as me, and others that have me wondering, ‘Who is that guy?’

It’s interesting to see the history of change over time. Especially in regard to riding a Vespa and blogging.

Recently I had the opportunity to be interviewed by fellow blogger (and video blogger) David Masse. His work and experiences are presented on Life on Two Wheels. He’s posted two videos — one a reflection of a day long ride we took, and a second an interview with me where we discussed the realities of blogging and why we do it.

Personal questions no doubt. And perhaps only of interest to other bloggers or would-be bloggers. For me, the interview is a curious check of who I am at this moment in time.

Visit Life on Two Wheels to see the riding video. Especially if you’re interested in what a little trip through central Pennsylvania might look like on two wheels.

It’s not the first time I’ve taken part in an interview. Dave Mangano, creator of SCTRCST, the Scooter Internet Radio podcast, interviewed me three times during his run of 94 episodes covering a wide range of scooter topics. Even though his site is now gone, the episodes persist on the web. Mine were espisode 7, 8 and 34.

Much time and many miles have gone by since those early interviews. And a lot has changed. But riding the Vespa, making photographs and writing about the experience persists.

Finding My Way

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feet up and relaxingFeet Up and Relaxing

Twisting the throttle as the scooter leaves the driveway is like turning a knob and pulling open a door to a secret room. Pulse quickens, eyes wide, body vibrates in a primal reaction to the unknown. At its best, riding is a reminder of what it means to be alive at the most basic level — one fueled by the senses and written by the mind. Each moment sings and for a short time, I feel comfortable in my skin.

Like a thirsty man in the desert spying the chance for water, you would think every opportunity to ride would be obsessively grasped — quenching some existential craving that can’t quite be explained.

Or perhaps a lack of honesty keeps that knowledge hidden. Isolated and distant. Or maybe there are some explorations riding can’t make.

So I find myself indolent, lost in thought, wandering on foot or slowly rocking, feet up and wonderings where I am.Continue Reading

Intoxicating Insanity

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Steve Williams, Vespa rider and blogger.

Are You Nuts?

I confess an ulterior motive to this post; I’m testing a new blog post editing application — Blogo. Rather than always have to be online to create posts in the WordPress site, this would allow me to work offline, work on multiple posts, ready images and tags, and pretty much do everything and then just push it to the site. A big question is how it handles images — specifically where do they go when uploaded. I like to know how some things work. Especially related to my self-hosted WordPress site.

Unrelated to that task, I wonder how often riders hear the “Are you nuts?” comment in regard to their riding. Or some variation of the popular incredulity people have when they think “motorcycle.” Scooters get a slightly less fierce reaction but it still happens. For me it more often comes up in the winter during a cold ride. Even fellow riders with mutter “Are you nuts?” Generally, the answer is yes. I’m overcome by the intoxicating insanity that riding pours through me. It’s a rush that causes me to assume a heightened risk of disaster.

Don’t misunderstand that last statement. It doesn’t imply reckless behavior or preclude a deliberate, managed approach to the risks associated with riding on two wheels. But the intoxicating insanity is complete. It sparks the pleasure synapses and delivers a rush of well-being that’s hard to describe. Perhaps a poet could. But my feeling is that it’s something you have to experience directly.

And there ends my test of the Blogo application (It’s for Macs only). We’ll see how things look when it’s posted.

Seeking Feedback and Insight

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Vespa GTS scooter on fog shrouded forest roacFinding My Way

I’ve always wondered if anyone would be interested in purchasing prints from me of some of the images I’ve shared on Scooter in the Sticks.  And others I haven’t.  After I retire at the end of June I’m going to have time to engage some of the projects I’ve been thinking about for a long time — riding, and creation of books, online courses and other products I’ve thought may be of value to people.

Especially people thinking about becoming riders, dreaming of that first motorcycle or scooter. Those who otherwise stumble along as I did.  Perhaps I can help smooth the road a bit.

Taking all of this to the next step, I’m asking for feedback and help in steering me toward a plan of action.  Or non-action depending on the results.  The survey below will be an important first step.  If you have a few minutes I would appreciate your feedback and comments.

There are eight questions.

Thank you!

THE SURVEY IS CLOSED

 

Personal History: Blogging and Riding

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Steve Williams riding a Triumph America motorcycleTriumph America

Personal history.  It’s not valued enough.  In a culture with dazzling tools to document and record, I find it amazing how superficial much of its production can be.  Details without soul, stories without feeling.  When I first started being asked why I blog it was difficult for me to answer.  The notion that I was building a personal history wasn’t on the radar.  The eclectic collection of images and text were an exercise in documentation with neither goal or objective.

Blogging was nothing more than a satisfying pastime.Continue Reading