I was reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance the other day (I know, I know...) and I came to the part where the speaker talks about the terrible job the mechanics did to his bike and how he should have known by their expressions when he first saw them:

"But the biggest clue seemed to be their expressions. They were hard to explain. Good-natured, friendly, easygoing...and uninvolved. They were like spectators... they had something to do with it, but their own selves were outside of it, detached, removed. They were involved in it but not in such a way as to care."

I think we all know the feeling of wishing that a stranger cared about something of ours the way we do- a mechanic, our bike; a doctor, our child; a police officer, our time. There is a magic to personal attachment and involvement. This got me thinking about the importance of being personally connected to an object or thing- What it means and how to express it. And, for myself, I don't think anyone has ever done that better than the United States Marine Corp with their Rifleman's Creed. So with apologies to those fine men, I have coopted that creed for myself and my bike:

"This is my motorcycle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My motorcycle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My motorcycle, without me, is useless. Without my motorcycle, I am useless. I must ride my motorcycle true. I must ride better than any cages that are trying to kill me. I must avoid them before they see me. I will...

My motorcycle and myself know that what count on the road is not the speed we ride, the noise of our pipes, nor the curves we slam. We know that it is coming home alive that counts. We will come home alive...

My motorcycle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weakness, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its brakes and its throttle. I will keep my motorcycle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

Before God I swear this creed. My motorcycle and myself are defenders of my safety. We are masters of the road. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but sleep."

 

The Ghost of Gomer Pyle.....you will be hung at dawn!

 

Wow, that much of an attachment to a material object? Were you abandoned as a child?

 

Pretty much.

Besides, its not about the attachment to the material object. It is about having a personally vested interest in it so that it is no longer just an object. Why? Because you will be more careful, more comfortable, take better care of it, and find it breaking less and running better if you have that personal connection.

 

I think I am a die-hard biker. A bike is my toys, and I have many toys. So this is not going to work for me. besides, I am multi-talented and without my bike I am still very useful

 

No doubt. That was the line I considered omitting, but I didn't want to hurt my bikes feelings by calling it useless without me and not reciprocating ;p You know how women are...

 

this forum is starting to get pretty lame.

 

There are only two things in my life that truly bring me joy. One is a smile on my OL's face and the other is my bike.

Too each his/her own. If you think I have a problem because I have an attachment to a "Material thing" all I can say is that it's a good thing for me that I really don't care what you think. Conversely you shouldn't care what I think either.

That having been said...I think I'll go have a drink later on.

 

$hit I just don't know what to say....didn't settle right though...