American Beauty?

At the onset of some of the most difficult times in American history, particular war times, we witness an increase in people expressing there love for this country. Everywhere you look you'd see "I love America" bumper stickers and other related swag. While the intention means well and it does create a sense of unity it seems that this gesture is enough while we go about our daily lives and don't really do the foot work to create a true bond on a national level, or a community level or sometimes even with your neighbor.
Now don't get me wrong, I love this country very much but that love is not for it's politics, it's leaders or it's "system". While we've experience both good and bad with the change of our leaders and their ideas, one thing remains constant, the land.
That is where my love comes from for this country, granted I have alot more to explore and I will. Standing on top of the 12,000 foot elevation of the Rockie Mountains, watching the sun set on the topography of  Bryce Canyon or seeing a full moon kiss the tops of the highest peaks in Zion Park makes it hard not to love The States. I've done some hiking in all of these places and with the beauty that mother nature offers, there also comes some danger.
I remember riding into the Black Hills in South Dakota on the bike and anticipating a great ride through the Needles Highway. The trees and mountains were so beautiful and I couldnt wait to get on the road that cut into the hills. As I got deeper into the Needles Highway the road began twisting more and getting narrower. The elevation was increasing and the higher I got the more dangerous the roads became. I found it a bit harder to relax and started to grip a bit tighter on to those handle bars. There were drop offs on one side of me that could have killed me if I didn't pay attention to the road.
So here I am in the middle of all this beauty and I am finding myself afraid for my life. Thats where the footwork comes in. These places are real, not Disney Land, they're not IMAX movies from the comfort of  a theater seat. If you choose to venture out into these places you need to respect them and tread lightly.
The landscape across the United States changes vastly in its many shapes and forms, it offers some beautiful views like nothing else. Their beauty is inviting and breath taking but be sure you're prepared for the dangerous aspects that may present themselves to you.
While we can never be sure of the intentions of political leaders or certain organized groups or even your neighbor. One thing will always be true and that is the land that makes up this country. With all its beauty comes it's equally harsh terrain but it's intent is never to harm. It has been there before us and will remain for quite some time after. It simply invites us in with open arms for us to explore and take a chance with the only true and constant element in this life.

“Nature never deceives us; it is always we who deceive ourselves” ~ Jacques Rousseau

Another day, another snow storm...

Hang in there fellow riders and show those bikes some love as they wait patiently for us to shred pavement soon.

Jim

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, not much to do with all this snow...

The snow has slowed us all down. Personally it has slowed me down both physically and mentally which explains the lack of blogs. After a couple of good snowstorms I thought I'd write a little update. Here it is 2011 and we've slid our way into a snowy new year. Like the hills I used to sled on as a kid, I've been cruising my way down a couple of them only to tromp back up and do it all over again. I'm speaking of course figuratively cuz damned if I am gonna get on a sled at my age and I'm certainly not cruising on the motorcycle. You can be sure with the first sign of spring I'll be ready to climb on that beast and start exploring more roads, more states and more aspects of this little brain of mine.
As I get older I've become less interested in the winters, though they are pretty to look at I'd just assume sit in front of a fire with a cup of hot chocolate, a bag of popcorn and a good movie. I've often thought of the winter as the great equalizer. Everything is coated in white snow, we're all forced to slow down, we're all digging ourselves out and waiting to see if there will be work to hustle off to for the day. In that respect I like what the winter does to all of us. No matter who you are or what you do, "Old Man Winter" levels the playing field even if it is for a short period of time. You certainly don't have as many choices in a snowstorm. Wanna drive fast? Nope... Wanna take the motorcycle out for a countryside drive? Nope... Wanna do some gardening? Nope...
So what do we do when those choices get taken away? We make the best with what we have and as situations change, such as the weather, we begin to look at all of our possibilities and start making the choices that suit us best.
Just as the snow melts and begins to reveal what lies beneath, our minds have the capacity to show us things we never knew were there. When things are constant for as long as we can see, such as a fresh blanket of snow, we tend to act in a certain way. I could get very comfortable with the idea of waking up looking out the window only to see miles of snow and then settle back down into the couch with a cup of coffee. This would probably only last so long before a change would need to take place. When the Spring time starts to creep in and the snow melts away we'll discover a hell of alot more choices to fill our day up with. So what happens when our daily routine is shaken up? Maybe we start a new job, or make a new friend. or lose a good friend. We start to look at things a little differently or have some thoughts we've never had before.
I've been thinking about the night I crashed and if I had chosen not to ride the motorcycle that night, the months that followed would not have changed as drastic as they did for me. I could go over it a hundred times in my head, but that's pointless. I chose to ride that night, I crashed, I injured my hand. Some choices were taken away from me that night. I couldn't tattoo, draw, play drums, hell I could barley get dressed. So I've made the best with what I have and paid attention to some of those thoughts that arose as a result of that accident. My hand's getting stronger and I'm able to make some new choices now so I'll tromp on up another hill. Maybe I'll hang out at the top for a little longer before I decide to come cruising down.

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. ~Eleanor Roosevelt


Beware the slippery slopes.
Jim