Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sunday Ride



Riding 2-up on a motorcycle is not like riding a bike! Planning is involved. There are a lot of things to know about leaning, and covering exposed skin, of wobbling helmets and bumps in the road.

I am a newbie, I have been on a motorcycle less than 10 times in my life, and that includes once as a defiant teenager with life-guard named Graham. (He uses to wear a red Speedo, way back when they were fashionable, but that’s a whole other story.)

Riding on the back with someone you trust was the joy of my Sunday afternoon. The world floated by quickly but ironically, still in slow motion as we made our way west on Hwy 22X. Yes, it is different than being in a vehicle with 4 wheels. You see more and feel connected to what is around you, you are more than an observer.

I could smell the burning of leaves, and see the farmer raise his hand in a wave. Saw a boy with a can of paint in one hand and a paint brush in the other. He gazed towards what must have seemed miles of battered fence. Maybe more than a one-afternoon chore. The cows and bison were more than brown lumps on the side of the road, you could see their faces, they were slowly chewing their lunch.

Soon enough summer will subside into fall, shades of yellow and orange will become a part of my life and it will be too cold to ride on the back. I never imagined myself on the back of a bike, not 2 years ago, or five or twenty. But it happens now and sometimes the bumps in the road can be enjoyed.

And just like life occurs at warp speed through some parts and slow motion in others, it all needs to be cherished as you ride through your Sunday.

Elbow Falls
Sunday afternoon



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