My Motorcycle Diaries

The past week has been a tad difficult for me. I'm not good with the sitting around doing nothing thing for long periods of time, on doctors orders I am basically helping gravity out and holding the couch in place while sousing my eye with a multitude of drops. The surgery seems to have gone well so I guess it's a small price to pay for seeing again....soon.

So, like a shut in I have been visited by friends over the past few days, bearing gifts of wine and beer but most importantly, company. The visits break up the monotony of doing nothing...and on the subject of doing nothing, how can you be exhausted from doing nothing? Weird. But I digress...Scott was one of my visitors and no sooner after he had settled in he started in on me about getting a motorcycle. Yep...I can't see yet from the left and this guy wants me on a bike for a cross country tour.

And you know what? I really want that bike. I've wanted one for years now but for one reason or another life got in the way. Something about the lure of the road, that Easy Rider freedom experience has appealed to me for a long time. I think Scott may be disappointed though, my bike choice, my steed of choice would not be his first choice. He has a Ducati Monster and I'm more along the lines of a classic Norton. While I appreciate the speed factor I'm pretty certain I will be dead if I ride the way Scott rides...I don't want my knee anywhere near the pavement. So while he is waiting at the next stop I'll be motoring along at my leisure. I imagine I'll ride the way I walk....sauntering with a bit of strolling thrown in. It would be an epic time though...so let the planning begin.

My ex and I were coming out of the theatre once after watching the movie One Week. As per usual the "what did you think?" question came out. I loved it, she did not. I loved Cloud Atlas, she thought it sucked. I thought Avatar was garbage and she loved it. Go figure. Anyway, she turned and asked if I'd like to do that kind of solo trip cross country on a bike. Not bothering to stop and think before answering I exclaimed something along the lines of "You fucking better believe I would". Wrong answer. She didn't like that at all. I can't lie though...I didn't care that she didn't like that answer, it was the truth. I would love to do that. That the movie is more relevant to me today than it was eight or nine years ago matters not...the notion of just going is a strong aphrodisiac.

Call it wanderlust, call it what you will, that sort of escapism is about the only thing I day dream of lately. Running off to Greece or Italy for a few months or riding through to Ontario, it's about the experience...not about running away from something or somebody. I have a lot of things to keep in place but a balance needs to be found to ensure that the little child in me gets what he wants. I know my kids will understand if "papa" takes off for a few months and I know that my girlfriend will understand if I take a motorcycle trip with Scott for two weeks. Balance...that's where it's at, both on the bike and in life.

So Scott...yes I will be working towards the bike. Looking forward to the ride my friend.

Ciao
D