Talk about a great fundraising idea. Let's get on our motorcycles, grab some bagels, get a couple of adorable movie stars who ride, and raise some money for The Humane Society and The Red Cross! Ok! Let's go! Sunday, April 27th, was my first group street ride. It followed a sleepless night, where I almost bailed on the ride, but I am ever so glad I went. First, it was nice not to be the beginningest beginner on the ride. (The poor dear with the messenger bag... I don't know the story, but he or she seemed to struggle to keep up!) But that wasn't the point. This was a ride to bring the community together and have a good time. And it was truly amazing to crest a hill on I5 and see bikes as far as the eye could see. It was cool to ride the back roads as a group; to look behind me and see the same tinted orange windscreen the entire ride, without knowing who that windscreen belonged to. It was fun at the tulips to have someone come on up and say "thank's for letting us in on the freeway!" When you are with other riders, there is no shortage of things to talk about. We compare rides, bikes, dreams, and adventures, as well as mishaps, close calls and past accidents. We liberally give out unsolicited advice with the best of intentions.
And then we face the weather. Rain or shine, around here, riders are riding. On our way home, we saw sun, light rain, heavy rain, and hail. And then sun again. I suppose somewhere in this ride there were tulips. Nathan and I got a cute picture in front of some. But it reinforced the idea that the destination is never the point. Sure, it was nice to have a hot dog and pop. But the real reason for going is the ride; the tourist attractions simply happen to give us a reason to stop for a bite to eat.
Which I find to be a wonderful (though needing often repetition) life lesson. When we get too focused on the shoulds, the musts, the fantasy, or the plan, we miss the beauty of life rolling by. We forget to enjoy the stunning views, the intense smells, and the earth vibrating under us. We look at our phones and miss the deer, we are so busy working on our calendar, we don't have time to go for a walk, we worry so much about the future, we forget to enjoy the moment. That day, I remembered that life is a journey, not a destination.
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