Riding in The Now

As I've gotten busier and busier with work over the years, I've had to cut down on various motorcycle and car magazine subscriptions.  I currently only subscribe to one magazine: Motorcycle Consumer News (MCN).  Why?  Because it's the best.  Let me show you why.

In a recent issue of MCN, February 2013, Dave Searle wrote a piece called "Riding in the Now."  I hope someday MCN will post it to this page:
http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/editorial.asp

In the meantime, however, Dave was kind enough to share a copy of the article with me: Riding in the Now.

In my opinion, in the "Riding in the Now" piece, Dave absolutely NAILED IT.  Completely expressed the main reasons I ride.  GREAT piece of writing.

...many of us enjoy dangerous activities because the threat of harm keeps us in the present, in the Now.

Although I know it's easily possible to be distracted with thoughts while we ride, the concentration necessary to ride at a rapid pace makes that less likely.

When I'm flying down my favorite canyon road, reading the turns, feeling the tires, rolling the throttle, I have no time for other thoughts.

In fact, riding is the best way I know to exercise the muscle that wrestles all kinds of fear.  I worry when I see timid people take up riding.  For whatever reason, they have been compelled to put themselves in harm's way, but are insufficiently bold to deal with it.

I’d love to find enlightenment watching a sunset or climbing rocks beside a waterfall. It shouldn’t be necessary to place myself in danger. But for now, I know of no better way to dissolve the past and future and live in the Now than motorcycling.

Ironically, while the above piece is not posted, I did find this:http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/editorials/Open_Road0303.pdf

Dave titled it "Now" back in March 2003.  Yes, the above article I mentioned is a repeat, almost word for word, from 10 years ago!  I don't point this out to criticize.  In fact, I truly am happy that he saw fit to run this piece again, years later, now that I'm in a better position to appreciate the wisdom in it.


Additionally, in the same February 2013 issue of MCN Mark Barnes also nailed it.  He also captured a main reason why we ride, Happiness.

So, motorcycles are happiness machines.  Not because they supply us with non-stop, effortless fun, but because they present difficult challenges and serious risks that we can take on with at least some degree of modulation to fit our immediate level of need.  They help us get back to our personal centers, with just the right amount of adventure.  We have to do some struggling to acquire and sustain the necessary knowledge and skills, and we have to endure the inherent discomforts and costs, but in return we gain access to whatever amount of novelty and challenge we need.  This is a terrific deal--use it.

Two great articles about why I ride in one magazine.  Very well done.