From my old blog: June 5, 2011

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Life is like a motorcycle?

Today was my first official day back on my bike since the warmer weather.  It was awesome.  Beautiful day.  I spent it with my dad's side of the family....all of whom are c.r.a.z.y.  hahaha-in a good way.  Love all of them.

Back to my title though; I was riding and thought of some key points to which life was exactly like my bike.

Since I hadn't been on in over 8 months, I was worried if I'd remember how to ride.  See last spring/summer was my first time ever riding a bike by myself.  So there was a lot of learning.  I spent the entire summer worried about remembering what exactly I was to be doing in order to make the thing go without me falling over.  Getting on this year was easy as 1-2-3, A-B-C!  I remember exactly what I was doing and did it seamlessly!  The greatest accomplishment ever is not having to look down to see if you're in neutral.  JUST knowing you did it without looking down, was fantastic. 

Breaking around curves/bends is a big no no when riding.  For several reasons, this is a bad idea.  I had to keep reminding myself, "don't break, don't break....get off the breaks!!!"  Keep looking straight ahead, as far into the corner as you can...the bike will follow exactly where it needs to go, no matter the speed.

I will also grasp the handle bars until my fingers turn white and I can't hold on any more.  When I hit a pot hole, I try to steer the bike back into command.  This is an AWFUL idea!  If I would release my death grip, the bike will shake around a little bit and then steady itself when its ready.  My tight grip makes the bikes ability to straighten itself almost impossible. 

Trust your bike.  It is better at handling the roads then you are.  This machine was made to fly into corners at top speeds. "Lean with it.  Rock with it."  If you hesitate, you're fucked.  So stop thinking about it.....just let the bike do what it was made to do....glide.

The wind is awful!  Have you ever ridden a bike?  Then you'd know that out of nowhere a gust of wind can take you by surprise and sweep you off your tires in the time it takes you to inhale.  This can be exhausting when you are riding on a beautiful day.  And worse on a shitty day.  Hold your ground and keep going.  My mantra?  "I am like a hot knife moving through butter....I am like a hot knife moving through butter...." Sometimes that's all that gets me through.

Right hand: release gas.  Right hand: break.  Left hand: clutch.  Left foot: Break.  Right foot: Shift.    All together now  releasegasbreakclutchbreakshift.  This is how you come to a stop sign.  My brain does this automatically.  No thought process whatsoever.  Pretty damn cool, I think.

Something a lot of people don't know about riding.  When you are steering the bike and you want to go left you push the right handle bar out.  It's different when driving you want to go left, you turn the wheel left, to go right you turn right.  With the bike you have to lean and push out.  It's a bit difficult to get used to when you're first riding.  It becomes second nature after a while.

Do you see how life is like a motorcycle?  Please don't ask me to spell these points out to you.....

• Its great knowing you don't have to worry about things....they just fall into place.
• Keep looking ahead...no one knows what's in store for you, just trust that you are going to be fine.
• You can't be in control all the time, let loose of your death grip and roll with life.
• Enjoy your time.  Life is meant to be lived...so live it!
• Thing will come at you, take them one blow at a time. (that could be taken two ways....get it?  hahaha)
• You can handle more things then you think you can. Just relax.
• Everything isn't always as it seems.  Sometimes you have to pay attention to understand something outside the norm.

My best point?  I hadn't been on my bike in so long, I was worried I'd forgotten how to ride at all....but when I got back on it all came back to me.  The skill of riding had been embedded the previous year.  All that worrying about if I was doing it right, the fear of even being out on the open road, all for naught.  Now....if I could just put life away for a small amount of time, just to rest and relax up so I can take my own pointers successfully.


xoxoxoxox