Bumps

I ride motorcycles. There is little about riding motorcycles that I don't like, but one thing I can do without are the "bumps." You know... the "bumps" in the road: speedbumps, uneven pavement, frost heave, or any other form of "bumps" -- I find completely annoying. Hit a frost heave at a significant clip and the "fun" really begins.

There are plenty of parallels between motorcycling and life. There are enough parallels that were I to include them all here, you'd be clicking to the next blog faster that you will anyway! But at the risk of having you jump in the passing lane and leave this entry behind, I'd like to offer a quick observation.

If "Life is a Highway" (as suggested by the lyrics of Tom Cochran and sung better (in my opinion) by Rascal Flatts) then it is going to have some bumps, too. And here is the paradox between life and motorcycling. While I generally "hate" the bumps on the bike, I am learning to embrace the bumps of life because the outcome is typically much more reliable than when I am riding.

Similar to riding though, it is always wise to cast your vision in life as far down the road as possible. But there are bumps in life we simply can't anticipate and even when we can anticipate them, what we choose to do with the disruption is a function of wisdom and maturity.

Today, a portion of my life hit a good sized bump and I realize I'm going to land on both wheels (though maybe not at the same time -- and when it is the front wheel hitting the ground first that's REALLY exciting). The thing I'm trying to remember is to keep the throttle on, adjust to the landing and just keep on riding. It's a bump... and that's life (and riding).