Can you hear it? Can you hear the sound of the clock ticking in the background or more accurately, in the back of your mind? I look around and I see the shadows of the day moving as the sun tells me I haven’t accomplished a thing – when the to-do list is long and rarely completed. Good intentions for sure, but they are mostly used to pave the road I’m riding my motorcycle on right now. All work and no play? Not so much.
Good intentions for sure, but they are mostly used to pave the road I’m riding my motorcycle on right now. All work and no play? Not so much.
It’s possible to have a balanced life with equal parts work and play. Downtime is important but for whatever reason there is always something to do and it needs to get done. I’m looking around but I don’t see any volunteers and the way I see it mopping the floor is my reward for going riding today. Yippee!
I don’t have to ability to spend my days behind the windshield of my motorcycle looking for the perfect road or taking a month off to find myself – I think I already know where I’m at. Real life gets in the way of many things, but does it really? Real life is just that and it includes dirty dishes and a lawn that needs cutting, and I’m completely fine with that. The “ride to live, live to ride” mantra is true but for me its more like “work to ride, ride to work.”
Every day when that urge to ride is stronger than the desire to do laundry, I realize that I’m fortunate enough to ride to work on a regular basis. Not everyone is that lucky, but for me it controls that craving to ride when the voice inside my head is telling me that my jeans will wash themselves. It’s tough being a responsible adult when all I want to do is chase a sunset or see if I can actually see the curve of the earth from some random hilltop. It isn’t always about the road, but more of our surroundings. I don’t have to be rolling down the highway on my bike to appreciate the scenery. Once in a while its okay to pull over, shut the engine off and take it all in. Hey, you need to check your cell phone anyway, right?
Find your balance. Find a way to get your chores done AND ride your motorcycle. It’s not only possible, but necessary too. Work to ride, ride to work. Kinda has a ring to it.
Jeff Maddox 
Nicely said, Jeff. As usual. I have a fairly hectic job. I take a lot of time off and it’s almost all riding and relaxing time. It took me years to get to this point, though. I was like many a rider who said I just couldn’t make time to ride. It took a conscious effort to schedule time on the bike and there’s been no looking back. Keep up the great work, amigo.
I always enjoy reading your musings. Maybe someday I’ll have a job that is more conducive to riding to work often. Business suits and heels typically don’t mesh. Damn…
I’m fortunate enough to show up for work in jeans and boots and ride almost every day the weather allows… But working at a HD shop has me working on Saturdays when most everyone else is riding! Can’t wait to see your bike with the new bags! Have a great weekend…