Ready to Ride

There’s nothing magical about a Vespa scooter sitting in the driveway.  It could easily be another scooter or a motorcycle.  The magic comes with riding. And over the years I’ve discovered that the quality of the ride has more to do with what’s going on between my ears than it does with the route or landscape through which I ride.

The act of riding itself pays dividends. I find myself embracing life as a Vespa rider.

One would think that now that I’m retired I would be chalking up hundreds and thousands of miles on the scooter — filling my time with riding.  This hasn’t been the case.  That time has been filled not only with riding the Vespa scooter, but with myriad other explorations and tasks.  The absence of work has beckoned to be filled with something else.  What that is has yet to be determined.

Morning is my favorite time to ride.  There’s an energizing quality to the light and air, regardless of weather, that sparks the spirit in a positive way.  Dark thoughts or anxieties are often swept away as the tires spin over the pavement.

On this morning I was heading nowhere.  The goal, the desire was to fly through for a little while and see what was happening in the world.  As the Vespa stood in the driveway in the morning sun I could feel that familiar excitement that comes as I near the scooter.  I still can’t believe how I feel after all these years and so many miles.Continue Reading