Enough is Enough

Go Fast, Don’t Die Wisdom

As I’ve mentioned here before, I try to follow and support businesses that share my morals, ethics, beliefs and sentiments on life and living, and on how we treat each other. Our lives are so full of tech, social media, negativity and stress, that it’s easy to get caught up in our our own survival. So much so, that sometimes we forget (or overlook) how to live, and how to live with each other, in a productive, healthy, adventurous, and insightful way. 

While not every business I patronize and promote meets those standards, a few of them do, and one of those businesses is Go Fast Don’t Die. If you haven’t checked them out… please do. They have a lot of cool stuff to check out and, while they’re a retail business on the surface, they’re a lifestyle brand at their core. You see, everything these guys are doing in their warehouse store in Wyoming, is geared toward encouraging people to be the best versions of themselves and to live their lives to the fullest. Selling t-shirts, socks, jackets, hats and stickers is just a way to help them pay the bills so they can keep spreading those good vibes into the world. Each week, if you sign up for it, they send out a thoughtful and insightful message to help motivate you for the upcoming week; they call it the “On Any Someday” series and each week they drop something new, and usually really great. Recently, they sent one that I really liked a lot and that’s the topic of today’s MotoPost.

Enough

What is “enough”. In the aforementioned weekly email from the good folks at Go Fast Don’t Die, the story they told was of two gentlemen that attended a party, hosted by a billionaire hedge fund manager. The two fellows were identified as Kurt Vonnegut and author of Catch 22, Joseph Heller. At some point during the evening, Vonnegut tells Heller that their host had made more money in one day, than Heller’s book had made over it’s entire lifetime of publication. Heller responded to this jab, with a killer one line response that is the inspiration for this whole post- Heller replied with, “yes, but I have something that he will never have- enough.”

That story, and that response, really resonated with me. The world tells us that we need more, so we are always seeking it. More advancement, more money, more… stuff. So, I ask you… what is enough? When do you have enough? What is the magic number in your bank account to satisfy you? How many square feet is the ideal number to satisfy your housing needs? How many cars? How many motorcycles? How many hours a week do you need to work to meet your goals? How many years do you need to wait before you take that vacation you always wanted to take? 

Presence versus presents

This year for Christmas, we decided to do our gifting a little differently. Instead of giving presents, we decided to give presence. Now, before you ask, no, it’s not about saving money. Ultimately, we are spending about the same (maybe even a little more) than we would have spent on traditional gifts for everyone. The biggest difference is the take-away- what will be left of the gifts that we are giving? 

When our kids were just little MotoKids, gift giving was fun and easy. Watching them rip into their presents on their birthdays and Christmases, year after year, was a memory that I’ll cherish forever. And that’s the one thing that they still have of those years gone by- the memories. The toys are long gone, but the memories remain. As our kids got older, and started their careers… their tastes became more specific and, since they earn their own money, they no longer rely on Christmas mornings or their birthdays to get what they want. I’m no different, either. If I want a part for my motorcycle or a piece of gear, I go buy it- I don’t put it on a list and wait for a special occasion, then hope that someone else gets it for me. Sure, there are some things that you can give to your loved one that they probably wouldn't buy for themselves and, for those things, we wrapped up and put under the tree. But for the other stuff- we decided to make memories, instead. 

Experience life

We chose to give the gifts of experiences this year. Experiences like, taking some trips as a family, going to cool museums, expos, and visiting new places. You see, as our kids got older, went to college and then started their careers, the time we spent together as a family started slipping away. The kids could feel it, and so could Mrs. MotoWriter and I. We tried out the idea last year, and took a couple of road trips together, as a family. We traveled to the mountains, saw an art exhibit in a nearby state, and we made a point to have regular dinners together. We spent more time together as a family, and as a result, we made memories that will last a lifetime. 

This year, we decided to go full send with the concept. This year, our Christmas tree stood, lit and twinkling in the living room of our house, barren of any colorfully wrapped boxes underneath. We exchanged a few, thoughtful gifts on Christmas Day, but for the most part, the gifts were intangible. My wife bought an inexpensive karaoke machine a few weeks before Christmas, so we’ve all had a bunch of fun, laughing, singing and laughing some more, with that. We’re also planning a few family trips for the upcoming year- trips that are sure to produce memories that will last a lifetime. 

Final Thoughts

Only you can decide when you have enough. What is enough for one person might be excess to another, and next to nothing to someone else. For example, Mrs. MotoWriter and I live in a relatively small house with a mortgage payment that is less than what others pay for their car each month. We have some debt, but we aren’t drowning in it and we both make enough money in our paying gigs that we can pay all of our bills each month and still have a few dollars left over. We have friends that are living meagerly by comparison and we have other friends that are living well beyond their means, relying on their overtime to pay their bills. Having a big house and a new car every year, or always being the guy on the newest motorcycle of your group of riding buddies, hardly seems worth it, if you can’t afford to pay your mortgage, ride that motorcycle or take a fun road trip in that new car, because you’re working all the time just to pay for all of that crap. 

Every person is different and we all need to prioritize what’s important to us. For me, spending time with my family is my top priority. Riding my motorcycle, writing this blog and working on the novel, are all priorities. I have to pay my bills, so I have to work. But, when given the chance to buy the latest phone, a new car, or even a new motorcycle, when what I have is working just fine for my needs… then count me out. 

My advice to you, if you want it, is to make a point to experience life this year. Don’t just live and exist in 2025- live and exist in the moments that make up 2025. Spend time with your family, friends and share experiences together. Don’t put off plans for some time in the future… because, just as my friends at Go Fast Don’t Die have said, “Someday isn’t a day on the calendar.” 

Always remember- if you’re not careful, the stuff you own will start to own you, and death is inevitable. If we’re lucky, our time here is limited to 75 good years, so make them count. 

Until next time, MotoReaders… 

Ride safe and make great memories!

Kindness

Kindness

What is kindness? What does it mean to be kind? There are dozens of things that I could list that could be considered kind, but we’re not talking about kind acts… we’re talking about the “ness.” A kind act could be as simple as letting someone merge in traffic in front of you, or even paying for a strangers coffee when they frantically look for their wallet after ordering their double mocha, half-caf, froo-froo, whatchacallit drink from the local coffee shop. But what is the ness of kindness and, more importantly, how do you obtain kindness? After much contemplation on the matter, I’ve come to the conclusion that kindness doesn’t exist. Not in the sense that we think, anyway. You can’t buy it, but you can get it, you can’t have it, but… you can give it.

The cost of kindness

They say that nothing in this world is free, but it costs nothing to be nice to someone. To say “good morning” to a stranger, or to hold the door for someone who has their hands full. Offering a simple “pardon me” if you accidentally bump someone on the sidewalk, or even just holding in that fart while you’re on the elevator (you know who you are). Bringing a load of gifts to a homeless shelter could be expensive and volunteering to work at a food bank takes time that not everyone has. Donating your old clothes or your kids old toys doesn’t cost anything, though and bringing a casserole to a struggling family doesn’t take much time at all. 

The traits of kindness

Perhaps, in order to figure out the “ness”, we need to identify some of the most common traits of kindness. 

• Respect- respect for others and respect for yourself;
• Courtesy- being polite and courteous;
• Friendly- being nice just for the sake of being nice;
• Chivalry- opening doors or offering your seat to a woman or an elderly person;
• Manners- saying excuse me if you burp, or pardon me if you bump into someone;
• Polite- saying good morning or have a nice day when greeting someone;
• Gratitude- being appreciative of the things you have and the things you receive from others- and acknowledging it;
• Generous- giving to others without expecting anything in return;
• Mercy- not taking advantage of someone when they are down, weak or hurting. 

These are just a few things off the top of my head that, I believe, define kindness.

Kindness is a virtue

We’ve all heard that kindness is a virtue and, according to the Oxford dictionary, a virtue is defined as “behavior showing high moral standards.” So, maybe figuring out the “ness” isn’t so complicated after all. 

All it takes to have kindness is to practice being kind, regularly. Be polite, respectful, courteous, friendly, generous, gracious, chivalrous and merciful. Have good manners and treat people (and situations) the way that you would want to be treated (or the way you’d want your favorite relative or friend to be treated). Remember that everyone you meet has something in their life that they are dealing with that you don’t know about- be it a sick relative, stress at work, financial struggle, personal injury, emotional stress or even some psychological or physical insecurity. Lots of people put on a brave face, talk loud or puff their chest out and pretend to be alright, when they are actually feeling weak, insecure or afraid. 

So, my advice to you is, if kindness is a virtue- be virtuous. If an opportunity presents itself where you can be nice, polite, generous, respectful, courteous, gracious, merciful or chivalrous… then do it. Spread good in the world. Let’s change how we treat each other and let’s make this world of ours a better place to live in, for all of us.

Let’s all start working toward being kind, and spreading kindness.

Until next time, MotoFriends, 

             Ride safe, and be kind.