Zen and the art of motorcycle purchasing

Avatar for bootywhompus
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Zen and the art of motorcycle purchasing
13
Tue, 08-19-2003 - 1:32pm
For some reason I feel a need to explain my fascination with motorcycles. I guess I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. Please no one take this personally or out of context. It's my opinion and it is not an attack on anyone.

Thanks everyone for your expressions of concern and support regarding my impending motorcycle purchase. I've known people killed on motorcycles. I've seen people mangled in accidents. I watched a man die after being squished between a pick-up truck and a dump truck while sitting at a stop light on his Harley. No, it wasn't pretty. I've also watched lovely, beautiful young people die from cancer of every flavor, AIDS, and enzyme deficiencies that left them unable to control their own bodies. I've watched gentle and caring old women and men turn into wild and violent monsters when the sun goes down. I took care of a 26-year old quadripelegic man who was a promising young doctor. He was injured in a surfing accident. Eventually, he wound up losing both legs and discovered he had a talent for teaching and for painting with a brush in his teeth. None of these people did anything particularly bad to deserve their fate in spite of what anyone might say. My own husband was involved in an accident that nearly cost him his life and his left leg. Fortunately he was able to keep both.

For sure you have to keep your eyes open and your wits about you when you're out and about on your bike. I practice DEFENSIVE driving. LoL, sometimes it seems more like clairvoyant driving. But, you know, accidents happen and that's why they call them that. Personally, I can't live my life constantly asking myself 'what if?' about every thing. There are some things in life that make life all the sweeter to live. For me, riding a motorcycle down the highway is one of those things. So is eating scads of pizza and beers, not exactly in the same risk category, but it's certainly not good for me. My point is that there are a lot of risky activities in the world. We just have to pick and choose from among them for ourselves.

Besides, who wants to live forever? I've worked with the elderly for a number of years...long enough to know that I don't want to get old the way they did. I don't have a deathwish, don't get me wrong. But I can't see myself sitting in my rocking chair when I'm 90 and asking myself 'why didn't I?'

Life is filled with risks. They are the things that make life worth living. My ultimate goal is to live life with gusto soaking up all that this world has to offer.

Just MHO.

Lori

Lori

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 08-20-2003 - 12:13pm
Just call me Rusty now, although I'm kind of worn out in places from previous exploits.

Rhonda

       ~~Rhonda~~


<

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 08-20-2003 - 12:25pm
Lori, I meant to ask if you'd read the book, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." I started to years ago, and then got sidetracked. It's now published online at http://members.verizon.net/~vze3cxmk/zandart.pdf

Rhonda

       ~~Rhonda~~


<

Avatar for bootywhompus
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 08-20-2003 - 1:13pm
No, I haven't read it yet. Thanks for the link.

Lori

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