Back to Basics...

Life has it's stresses. They come in the form of incompetent co-workers, city traffic, allergies, screaming children, lacking finances, or a cheating partners. Without a doubt, no matter what we do, life has a way of throwing more and more things in our path. And we often compensate for the added tasks by multi-tasking; we whine about our co-workers to our cheating spouse, while driving to pick up the screaming kids in crazy traffic, with blurred vision from not being able to afford allergy medicine.

As a result, driving has no longer become a task in and of itself. It has become a necessary evil, one which we never respect anymore. When cars were new to the world, they had to be respected; driving automobiles was a completely new task, one which was uncomfortable and dangerous. Now, everyone is comfortable with the task of driving, so they don't mind multitasking in their living rooms on wheels. That coupled with the fact that automobiles have so many safety features, means that people don't care if they wreck.

Cars have gotten faster and quicker, they constantly handle better and stop shorter than their predecessors. But with these advances came automatic transmissions, cup holders, CD/DVD/mp3 players, TVs, and a number of things that make driving less of a task. As E. F. Schumacher said,
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction."

I guess that's what I've recently rediscovered in motorcycles. There is a direct connection between the motor and the rider; the bike responds to your every input instantly. Everything has been pared down to it's most basic nature. No music is necessary, I'd rather listen to my bike. It is a great experience when you start to become one with the bike, completely ignore the destination, and just take the journey.