You might say I’ve had some
idle time since retiring. It hasn’t all
been traveling, remodeling, and hobnobbing, so in those moments of silent
reflection, there are bucket list thoughts that slip in and out. But a list has never revealed itself on
paper. So with this in mind, as we were cruisin’ on the Harley on Highway 1, along the central California coast this
afternoon, between Big Sur and San Simeon, it dawned on me that my bucket list
has been more an accumulation of activities that grew in appreciation after the
fact. For example, building the earth
contact house in the mid 80’s on our own (for the most part) seemed to be quite
an accomplishment and really couldn’t appreciate it until after the fact and knowing it hasn’t fallen down yet or caught on fire! So that was a bucket lister. Rafting the Grand Canyon on the Colorado
River was special, but again, its significance didn’t really soak in until
afterwards. So, another addition to the
bucket. Today, while riding Highway 1 on
my motorcycle, it too was added to the list post haste. Since I don’t do motorcycle stunts, race
motorcycles, or build them, riding them in really cool places will suffice and
so is added to the list. Others on my
list are teaching for 29 years (and enjoying most of it), being at the Masters
Golf Tournament, having a few rounds of golf under 80, riding our motorcycles to Maine for a lobster
dinner with Stuart, Jeff and Ed (then turning around and coming back), fishing
for walleye in a slice of heaven in Canada, and retiring at age 50 years 9
months, and I’ll spare you the minutes and seconds. Not a bad highlights reel! I think I will put pen to paper sometime,
during one of those moments of silent reflection, and try to assemble a more
complete bucket. Until then, I will
continue to do stuff, and after the fact be amazed by some of it, add it to my
bucket, and repeat.
Words cannot describe. |
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Still, no words. |
Once in awhile when staring down a naughty expectation, I would get a knee squeeze from the back seat and that put me back in the moment. Thanks, Beth for my squeezes! |
My Zen from the Road: Expectations
suck. I know this, but they continually
rise up and tweak me on occasion. Today
I had high hopes of Highway 1, this smooth ribbon of highway that clings to
the coastline, overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean…what motorcyclist’s dream
of. Well, the road wasn’t smooth, it did
cling to the coastline most of the time, and it did overlook the vast Pacific
Ocean (when the fog wasn’t coving it up), so was it the ride of a
lifetime? It was a bucket lister, so yes
it was, but I had to work at it. So that
“be here”, “live in the moment” stuff…helped make it to the bucket. Occasionally the traffic disappeared and it
seemed like we were all alone. The fog
lifted and dispersed for our return trip home, and the rough road…hell, the
road is built on the side of cliffs and mountains, what should I expect… Hah!
That’s right, I shouldn’t.
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