Writing Boots

On communication, professional and otherwise.

Friday Happy Hour Video: Why I ride a motorcycle, Paul

06.22.2012 by David Murray // 8 Comments

Before my most recent motorcycle ramble, a 700-mile round trip to Des Moines, Ia. over Father's Day weekend, my friend Paul gave me a look that haunted me in the days before I left.

The look said, "You are a deranged fool or a selfish fucking asshole for riding a motorcycle when you have an eight-year-old kid. It is one of the things I have to overlook in order to like you. And I do overlook it. But you're still a selfish fucking deranged foolish asshole for doing this."

(Between good friends, a look can say a lot.)

And he's right, of course. Once my wife asked me whether, if I die on my motorcycle, she can tell people I died doing what I loved. I told her she could tell them whatever she wanted, but she should know that as I'm hurtling through the trees, if it comes to that and if I have time to think, I will be full of regret, will be counting up, until I hit the tree, all the other pleasures in life that this one pleasure will now snuff out.

And yet I do it anyway, and so do many other people with heavy responsibilities to other human beings, and a lot to lose.

I spent much of the Des Moines trip creating this answer to Paul's silent question, Why?

Here, with no expectation of convincing anyone of anything (least of all Paul), is "Why."

Categories // Uncategorized Tags // danger, helmet law, joy, motorcycling, risk

Now Available

An Effort to Understand

Order Now

Sign up to receive blog updates

About

David Murray writes on communication issues.
Read More

 

Categories

  • Baby Boots
  • Communication Philosophy
  • Efforts to Understand
  • Happy Men, and Other Eccentrics
  • Human Politicians
  • Mister Boring
  • Murray Cycle Diaries
  • Old Boots
  • Rambling, At Home and Abroad
  • Sports Stories
  • The Quotable Murr
  • Typewriter Truths
  • Uncategorized

Archives

Copyright © 2022 ยท Log in

  • Preorder An Effort to Understand
  • Sign Up for Blog Updates
  • About David Murray