Writing + Riding = Wriding?
OK, maybe coming up with new words should be left up to the scholars.
I'll admit that I often think I'm more clever than I actually am. For example, when I came up with the word "socafriend", I thought that I would be hearing it everywhere. Well... that might be a stretch, but I did think that I might, at the very least, have someone ask me about it. But I digress, this isn't a piece about making new words, despite what the title might imply. That part was just a cheap ploy to get your attention and, if you're still reading this, hopefully it worked!
I like my regular job. It can be pretty interesting, heck it can even be a bit challenging, at times. If you know me at all by now, you know that I also have a passion for riding motorcycles and at the ole 9 to 5 grind, I even get paid to ride one every once in a while. Overall, it's a pretty good job, but more than anything, I'm privileged enough to work with some really great people who make the task of going to my office every day a little bit easier. Moreover, the full time gig is what actually pays the bills. Even with good coworkers, a few friends and a decent work schedule though, the job can still be pretty stressful at times.
Along with my passion for riding motorcycles, I also love to write. I'm not saying I'm any good at it mind you- I'm just saying that I like to do it. If I were a better writer, maybe I'd be able to make enough dough that I didn't have to consider selling off one of my scooters every so often, just to support my coffee addiction.
Stress is a bitch
It is often an unseen, unheard, odorless, apparition that strips us of our livelihood and our happiness before we can even realize it's happening. Sometimes, we can see the embodiment of it in the form of a red envelope in the mailbox that says "PAST DUE" across the front, other times it appears as a flat tire on our car or a bright orange "check engine" light, glowing brightly on our dashboard as our car slowly rolls to a stop in rush hour traffic. The worst kind of stress, though... by far... is the stuff that creeps up on us while we are busy living our lives in our most routine and mundane ways. It often manifests itself as a headache that lasts for a few days, maybe a stiff neck or a sore back. Sleeplessness and nightmares, stomach problems and an unsettling anxiety that just doesn't seem to go away are all good indicators of it, too. When someone suggests that we seem stressed, we reply with "I'm not stressed", knowing full well that we just let a lie slip past our lips.
As a parent, it's extremely easy to get caught up in this kind of stress, so much so, that there are simply too many ways to even bother mentioning them here. If you're a parent, you already know what I'm talking about. Even if you don't have kids though, the daily grind can still get you feeling the crushing pressure of that invisible demon. Going to work every day, trying to beat deadlines, meet sales quotas, achieve goals, prepare for that big presentation or trying to get promoted, can all cause you to feel that listlessness, exhaustion and neck and back pain that will eventually cause your blood pressure to escalate and your heart to flutter. It can all sneak up on you before you even know it and there are a million and three different ways for it to happen.
Stress relief is near
We all find relief in our own ways. Some of those remedies are, admittedly, less healthy than others. Some people deal with their stress through their daily (or hourly) cigarette breaks, others deal with it by making a point to try to look through the bottom of as many whiskey tumblers as they can. I don't recommend those particular ways to alleviate stress, as I've seen a lot of bad things come from them. I'm not preaching at you not to drink- after all, the occasional adult beverage can be nice after a relaxing motorcycle ride. I'll leave my opinion on smoking out of this, except to say that it does a helluva lot of damage to your insides. Personally, I never could stand the burning feeling of intentionally pulling that hot, dry smoke into my lungs, but that's just me.
Instead, I find my peace and stress relief in the saddle of my trusty two wheeler. When the weather is crappy, if I'm a little too tired from my day at the office or if I'm just inspired with a new idea, then I write. Looking back, I suppose that I've always been drawn to the written (or in this case- typed) word, even before I had a motorcycle in my garage. Lots of people might argue that smoking cigs are safer than riding motorcycles and, in their minds, I suppose they might be right. For me though, along with the fresh air in my lungs and the cool wind and warm sun on my skin, there is a certain therapeutic affect that usually starts with a deep breath and ends up in a big shiver as the stress gets purged out at 60 mph. The soothing drone of a V-twin engine is like a symphony to me when I'm having a bad week and seeing the sunlight shimmer through the leaves of the passing trees in the early morning light is a visual experience like nothing else I've seen.
Writing requires passion
Reading something that was written with no passion, absent of any genuine interest by the author, is immediately discernible to even the most indifferent of readers. Those are the articles that read like a press release- "just the facts, ma'am... just the facts." It's akin to reading an instruction manual for a new toothbrush. When the writer loves his subject matter though, when he is excited about what he's telling you, the creativity starts to flow and the reader starts to feel the enthusiasm in those written words. Again, I'm not suggesting that I have that ability, after all, that's for you to decide. I just enjoy riding my motorcycle and then trying my best to describe the feeling of riding to those of you who can't get out and ride because you are stuck in COVID quarantine, for those that don't know how to ride, for those with nothing better to do than read my blog or, for you folks that are laying in bed trying to just read something boring to put you to sleep. If you're one of the latter, sleep well.
If you're still awake and still with me, then hang in there, I'm almost done with this one
I find a certain level of contentment in letting my passion for motorcycling live outside of the rattletrap that is my own, stress filled, head. As a writer, if I can bring you, even a few, moments of laughter, joy or shared excitement for riding motorcycles, then I've accomplished my goal.
I can usually find, at the very least, a half hour or so to ride my motorcycle, but if for some reason I can't, I try to at least write something that conveys the euphoria of motorcycle riding to anyone who happens to stumble upon this blog. By choosing the right words to describe the feeling, the sights and the smells that I experience while cruising down some random, two-lane back road in the middle of nowhere, I am hoping to give you the opportunity to experience, if only vicariously and for a few moments, the thrill of riding whenever you find yourself unable to do so.
I hope you enjoy reading my occasional bit of wordsmithing and I truly hope that I can inspire you to turn off your computer, or put down your phone, and go get on your motorcycle instead. If you don't have a bike, well maybe you'll be inspired to get one, and learn how to ride it. Either way, ride safe and make good choices, and maybe I'll see you out on the road. Maybe, we'll even give each other a wave as we go by.
