DreamWhen I decided to divorce my ex-Beloved, the world suddenly became my oyster...more or less, and whatever that means, in the first place. I decided I would live the life I've dreamed of since I was younger, and better looking (and in better health), than I am now. I used to have a number of dreams I wanted to accomplish before I died, back when I thought I had all the time in the world.
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Well, I still have time, though not as much as I did when I first started having these dreams. I have every day I roll out of bed, so I've got that much time, at least.
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One of my dreams is to learn to operate a motorcycle. I'm working on that right now. (Okay, so not exactly "right now," since I'm busy typing this, but don't be so nit-picky literal!) Once I obtain my license, providing I survive the lessons, I will obtain a motorcycle. You might think, since I live less than half an hour from the York(PA) Harley-Davidson plant, that I would want one of the Hogs. In fact, that used to be the machine of choice...until I saw a Victory King-Pin out on Route 30 one afternoon last year, and fell in love.
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The moment was straight out of a Hollywood, 1930s romance movie, where the late afternoon sun glints off the chrome pipes and the girl (old broad) swoons at the sight. The light changes and the object of her desire leaves her at the intersection, trying to refocus her attention on the traffic surrounding her.
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"What the heck was THAT?!"
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Click on the word Dream for an expanded view of my current infatuation. I might have to sell the house in order to get one, but it might be worth it.
(c) 2009 Martha McLemore
21 comments:
And where will this dream take you when it's achieved? Any plans in that regard?
KD:
Yes, I have plans! I want to start at the most north-eastern tip of Maine and see every state in the continental US, then visit Canada, then (if I'm still living and able) see the rest of the world, ending in Hawaii.
One of my occupation dreams was to be a writer for National Geographic, so I could visit exotic places, take tons of very good photographs and meet new peoples. I can still travel and write, even if it isn't for NG.
I want to fall asleep somewhere along the western rim of the Grand Canyon and awake early enough to watch the sun rise in the east.
I want to follow the trails of the early explorers, to try to get a feel for what they saw, even though nothing is the same.
I'd like to meet the bloggers I follow, put faces and voices to their names.
I want to see and experience as much good as I can find in this world before I have to leave it.
Oh, yeah, Friend, I have plans.
:D
Have you seen The Long Way Round?
http://former.imdb.com/title/tt0403778/
Zhoen:
No, I haven't, but I'll check for it at Blockbuster this week.
I liked the movie, Bonneville, with Kathy Bates, Joan Allen and Jessica Lange, about three women on a road trip. Loved Hog Wild, too, with John Travolta, William Macy, Martin Lawrence and Tim Allen.
:)
That's an excellent plan :-)
Susan:
Please tell Crow that I would be honored to have him ride behind me when I get to your neck of the woods! (You, too, of course! If you trust me to drive?)
:D
As you get older you realise what time means; an ever decreasing resource that you have no control over.
One way, for me, of trying to get the most out of that valuable resource is to write.
John:
I think that's why I started this blog, as well. That, and I wanted to leave some footprint to show I'd been here.
:)
World's your oyster. That's the trouble with clichés, we don't always know what they mean. Ride roughshod, for example. Conceivably, if the world's your oyster, you can slide into it unobtrusively and become the world's pearl.
Victory King-Pin. As a Honda Fireblade man (just a dreamer, not an owner) I can say neither yea nor nay to this bolide. It's certainly far sleeker than a Hog. Cautionary note 1: before you plank down your hard-earned greenbacks have the dealer lay it on its side and see whether you alone can resurrect it to the vertical again. Cautionary note 2: judging by the vestigial pillion seat, it would be wise to measure the derrière of any potential passengers before taking them for a ride. Svelteness appears to be a pre-requisite. Cautionary note 3: Don't economise on the quality of your gloves: on a bike your fingers are the most thermally vulnerable part of your body.
But the hell with caution; bikes are incompatible with this timorous outlook. Concentrate on blipping the throttle when you change down; done well the resultant noise will confirm you have become a biker. Then head out for the high chaparral (wherever or whatever that is).
Ugh. My partner is a motorcycle fool too. I don't know what kind it is. It is um...purple. She has a name for it, I refuse to learn it. She wants to take me for a ride, I refuse to get on it. I hate that contraption with all of my might. I worry that she will die on that thing and the only thing she has for protection is that flimsy little hat (helmet, she would sigh and say.)
But, um...good luck. :)
BB, if I'm honest with myself, in all likelihood I will buy a trike, since I want to haul a teardrop trailer (caravan?) behind me on my tours. However, I must learn to operate a two-wheeler before I am awarded an operator's license...at least here in Pennsylvania...I think.
I had to google blipping to learn what it means - cool beans! I just want not to crash and scrape off all the flesh from my body!
Your cautions are well-received; thank you. I questioned a man riding a Honda about the merits of his Twin Star versus a Harley, since we live in Harley country. He said the Honda's center of gravity was better for women than the Harley and was easier to right for the same engine size. He owns both machines and said each had its merits, but for a new rider - and especially a woman new to bikes - he would recommend either a Honda or a Victory. That was the first time I had heard the name Victory. Shortly thereafter, I saw one on the highway and was impressed by its looks (I'm such a shallow hussy).
I have to pass my learner's test and get a permit before I can take the DMV-offered riding lessons. Then I have to work up the nerve to "head out on the highway." One thing to do so in my Jimmy; quite another on an open motorcycle.
:)
Maria:
I will be 62 by the time I get my license. Common sense, and no health insurance, will probably interfere with my riding, unless I do buy a trike.
The motorcycle represents unbridled freedom to me, which is probably its appeal to a lot of people. I think I will be able to go anywhere, do anything I want when I have my license and bike.
It's all perception, because I could do so now, if I really wanted to, if I let go of my fears of being homeless (that is, houseless), or my worries about how my daughter and grandson would fare on their own.
The motorcycle, and the freedoms it implies, are a dream, a metaphor for letting go of the past and the ugliness of it. I used to dream of flying, too; literally in my dreams (we've all had those), and a fantasy of flying a plane.
This time, I'm going for the motorcycle license. I've let too many dreams pass me by.
Joanne Woodward used to grit her teeth every time her husband, Paul, got into one of his beloved race cars. I imagine she felt the same way you do every time Bing gets on her Purple.
:)
I'm not a biker, but love the lore--from Pirsig's Motorcycle Maintenance to films like The World's Fastest Indian and The Motorcycle Diaries: "Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death."
- Hunter Thompson
Please be careful Martha.
In recent years there has been a huge increase in the numbers of 'mature' motorcycle riders in the UK.
And a huge increase in fatal accidents too, owing to their inexperience.
Sometimes dreams are best left as, well, dreams. Don't turn it into a nightmare.
I apologise if I'm 'doing a dad' as my daughter will say when I get my paternalistic protective head on.
ER:
I read The Zen of Motorcycle Maintenance and saw The World's Fastest Indian, but have yet to see the Motorcycle Diaries.
That Hunter Thompson quote gives me pause...I'll see how the lessons go.
:)
John/AWB:
This may well be just a dream in the end. Besides, at nearly 62, I am nothing if not cautious. I appreciate your concern.
:)
That bike is a work of art.
Lisa:
It sure is! There are some more lovelies on their website, too.
:)
lovely bike ... and the lore is compelling; but I think you will be a traveller no matter what your age or stage...
Well now, I just happened to write about an upcoming trip I'll be making, on my Triumph Tiger motorcycle. I sold my Harley over a year ago and bought the Triumph. Now, Triumph is coming out with a new Thunderbird. It is in the same size class as the Kingpin and Harley "cruisers". I do believe I want one and will try and buy one when they come out to the public in September. You can take a look at one HereI have many reasons to live like there is no tomorrow. I'm not careless, although I guess at times I have been, but I've never been sorry for what I've tried whether it was a material thing, like a motorcycle, or moving to a new neighborhood, changing jobs or what I drive. I've had over 75 W2's, moved 53 times and owned over 150 cars.
Peace.
@Zhoen: Have you also read Long Way Down? It's their second trip, from Scotland all the way down through Africa. Just as fantastic, and very moving. I certainly hope they'll do more trips that we can follow vicariously (except for Martha, who will one day be doing it in reality!).
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