Two Wheels Move the Soul

There are any number of ways to unwind when the stresses of everyday life get to be too much, but I have to say that throwing your leg over a motorcycle, firing it up, and soaring down some twisty back-roads with nothing between you and the rushing wind but a helmet and some well-worn leathers ranks very high on my list of favorite ways.

Motorcyclists like to say, well, lots of things, but one is that you never see a motorcycle parked at a psychiatrist's office. A good long ride with your mind focused on all the details of riding safely, while going out of your way to enjoy the road, can help you put things in perspective, even if it's just because whatever worry or trouble you've had your mind spinning around can't take your whole mental bandwidth while riding. Sometimes it's just as simple as giving yourself the chance to be distracted by good clean fun.

You know that look on a dog's face when he's got his head out the window of a car, ears and tongue flapping in the wind, eyes gamely squinting away the force of the air, a big old doggie-grin catching whatever scents and tastes blow by? Bikers understand that; we revel in the changes of the air as we move from field to forest to town to lakeside, in knowing that we can reach down and touch the road with our soles whenever we want, in the silent uncritical camaraderie that is the biker-wave. (Most bikers offer other bikers a quick wave or a nod, just to say, "Hey, good day!")

Today I met with friends who were riding out for a two-week journey, off to join many other friends along the way. I've gone with them before, and will again, but this year I'm staying home and putting my energy into other things. Being able to ride partway, escorting them for a ways and yelling bon voyage as we parted was a nice way to participate just a little bit anyway. Tucked somewhere in their gear is a bottle of my mead to share with the others, too. Ride safe, Johnny Bongo, Jingles, and all the others, but put a little extra into a couple of bendy-roads for me!  

Jingles and Johnny Bongo all loaded up.

Taste the air, my friends, along your way,

For danger, roses, diner food, and rain.

Exploring's not the same as gone astray,

Connecting mountains, rivers, back-roads, plains.