That time of year

It's getting close to Thanksgiving and the time of year where we all try to focus on the positive things in our lives. This year has been a little different and I think it has a lot to do with the economy. I have noticed a lot more people voicing their thanks for the blessings in their lives. I think we, so often, focus on what other people have and look right past the great things in our own lives. The society we live in fuels this with it's "get everything you want" mentality and that works negatively against us most of the time. We honestly do live in a nation of excess. I, myself at the age of 25, have had five trucks, actually owned two of them, had two motorcycles, and two boats. Now granted none of these have been brand new or in amazing shape, but that's a lot of someone this young. I have had a very blessed life, even with some of the setbacks I've had. There really isn't much in my life to complain about. And if we're all honest not many of us have much we can gripe about. Now I know there are people out there in dire circumstances and I honestly feel for them. But maybe this is the time to reach out to those people. Maybe you can't turn everything around for them, but make their life easier. If you know someone who is going through some hard times right now just do something for them. Don't just ask them if they need something, do something. Take them a meal one evening, or take them out for a meal. Even something that simple can make a huge difference. It's just one less thing they have to think about. And it helps them see that there are good friends and good times still in their life. Like I said earlier I'm seeing a lot more people focusing on what they do have and being a lot more thankful this year and I think that's a great sign. I think it's a sign that, as a society, we're getting back to the basics and moving towards a happier time. Things are looking good and I'm thankful for that.

Love like a Dog

Yep, that is my dog and that is apparently a comfortable position for her. I've often said if we could all love like a dog then we'd all be in a better world. It's one of the purest and most genuine loves you will find. This kind of love is definitely amplified if you have an energetic dog. Not to say that a bloodhound loves you any less it's just a lot more noticeable in a breed like boxers. And if you rescue an energetic dog from the pound then the love is even more amplified. When I arrive home, whether I've been gone twenty minutes or all day, the welcome is joyful and inviting. It's not a calm and collected hello from across the room as she sits comfortably on the couch. It's a wild, erratic series of convulsions many boxer owners know as kidney beaning. My dog turns her body into a U that can't be still. There is bounding and jumping and changing the direction of the U.

Other than the physical excitement there really is a great emotional love with my dog. When she sits next to me you can see it in her eyes. There is this look that says thank you. Thank you for saving me. And I may be the only one that sees it, but then again I'm the only one that needs to. There's this devotion that let's me know she would do anything for me. And it's not an obedience from fear of punishment devotion, it's a real devotion. Because she'll be obedient with other people, but it's how easy she does things for me. There isn't a lot of coaxing or begging. When she gets a new toy, or finds an old one in another room she wants to show me. It's like a young child wanting to impress a parent.

If we all took this kind of approach to our everyday relationships I think we'd all be a lot happier. I know you don't always want to jump off the couch when your loved one comes home. But, if you could add some excitement to your voice it would make a huge difference. And if you try to love with the unconditional attitude that dogs have then I believe the love returned is even stronger. I'm not saying that my dog loves me so much she just lets me do whatever. Because if we're wrestling and I grab her to hard or twist a paw the wrong way I get nipped. But the way she forgets and moves on so quick is amazing. If we all learn to forgive and forget more quickly we move so far ahead. I know this really doesn't have anything to do with having a wild spirit but it was a slow day for really deep thoughts from me.

Accelerate til you see God and then back off a quarter turn

Most people think that summertime is when the motorcycles come out and everyone is riding. Well to an extent it is. It's when all of the people who are wanting the attention are riding. When the leaves start to turn and the temperature is beginning to drop is when it really happens. I believe this is mostly due to the fact that serious riders are wearing protective gear. In the heat of the summer this is possible but not comfortable. I always loved this time of year because I could finally be comfortable on my bike.

Recently I traded my bike for a diesel truck. I think for right now I'm just out of my sport bike riding phase. I may find that to be untrue at some point but for now I'm okay not having a motorcycle. I will definitely be acquiring another bike at some point but not sure if it'll be a cruiser or something sporty again.

With the change of the seasons whatever signals me to want to ride has signaled others as well. I've seen a lot of motorcycles out lately and it got me thinking about why people ride. For some it's a great and cheap way to see the mountains. For others it's a pure adrenaline rush. For me it was an escape from the everyday and a way to convene with God. When riding a sport bike (not cruising, moving at a significant speed) you have to offer up a great deal of concentration. Having to concentrate so much on the task at hand releases your mind from the worries of everyday life. From my house it's about a twenty minute ride to where the roads get really twisty. I would usually take this time to allow my mind to run through all my normal thoughts and wanderings. Once I arrived at the foot of the mountain a switch was thrown and everything changed. I often rode with an ipod (which I know is illegal but not the first offense for me) and would listen to things like the Last of the Mohicans theme. Being instrumental it offered something to entertain better than the drone of the motor but not enough to distract. On a side note I will say the rhythm of the song is very driving and would often cause me to go faster than I normally would, but oh well that's what the bikes are made for. Once on my way up the mountain thoughts quickly go from when I have to be back at work to push left, lean left, go left, and reacting to feedback from the bike. I begin to progressively lean harder into the curves and accelerate harder out of the apex. With each turn I can literally feel my worries falling further and further behind.

I also mentioned riding being a conference with God. As I lean harder and harder into each turn I realize how much I'm relying on the physics of the motorcycle and the compound of the tires to work. And I begin to have a steady and serious dialogue with God. It's part of that facing my own mortality I spoke of in the last post. When going through a turn marked 35 mph at 65 mph I see how things could go horribly wrong. But I just have to force myself to have faith in the physics of the world God has create and the knowledge he instilled in the engineers of the motorcycle and the tires. And believe me there is no time I talked to God more seriously and reverently than when I would feel my rear tire start to slide through the corners. It was a feeling of "I may be coming to see you shortly so let's go ahead and make my peace."

For some people even the thought of riding a motorcycle is terrifying. But I honestly believe that if they would just ride one time they wouldn't think it so terrifying. They may not love it but at least wouldn't think it was so bad. I understand that blistering through the mountains at mach 5 isn't for everyone but that's why they make cruiser style bikes too. There is nothing else like riding a motorcycle. It's as close to flying as you can get other than skydiving. If you close your eyes it's like you can almost imagine there is nothing else around you. But don't close your eyes to long because like I said it demands a lot of concentration.

It's another key to being wild. Ride a motorcycle. At least once in your life. You may not love it but it will honestly give you a feeling you will never forget.

Death and how "I ain't scared of no ghost"

I just finished a great book titled The Question of God by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr. which was a bowl full of awesome. It compares C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud's views on everything including love, sex, grief, pain, and of course God. Since they never met it achieves a debate style forum through comparing their views on subjects through letters and published writings. The last chapter of the book deals with the fact of death. It looks at how your world view can affect your perception of death. It also looks at the various ways you can face your own mortality. This was a chapter that really stuck with me.

When I was fifteen my father died and I think that forced me to take a very good look at my own mortality. As a young boy, and yes at fifteen you're still young, I looked at my Father as someone who would never die. As a matter of fact, I looked at my Grandfather as someone who would never die. I thought they were both just larger than life. Both of them could be compared to great heroes like John Wayne or Burt Reynolds ( I know to you Burt may not be a hero, but to a young man who has just seen Smokey and The Bandit for the first time he is). Then, all of a sudden, one of them is gone. And you start to realize, very quickly, that nothing will last forever and we all have an end moving towards us. It's like being dropped into the woods without knowing where you are, no compass, no map, and nightfall is coming. But sometimes that's what being wild means, it means finding your way out of the woods without a map or a compass. It means not fearing the coming night and preparing for it rather than running from it.

At times the thought of an encroaching death can overwhelm you and you feel like it will be here at any minute. Other times you are so wrapped up in the moment of living that it feels as if the sun will shine on your face for a thousand years. I honestly believe that one of the keys to a happy life is to balance these two feelings. On one hand you have to understand that your days are numbered. That ever since the moment you were conceived time has been marching you towards zeros on your clock. But on the other hand you have to step back and appreciate every moment for what it is. A moment you were alive. A moment where you had someone make a difference in your life. They made you happy or made you more aware of something in this world. Or hopefully a moment where you made a difference.

Now obviously, you can also choose to ignore the fact that one day you will die. But if you do will you have said everything you needed to say? Or done everything you needed to do? Now I know that there will always be something left unsaid or something left undone. But I believe that if you live your life with purpose and try to say everything you need to and do everything you need to, you 'll come close. The last thing I ever said to my dad was "I love you, see you this afternoon." And I always knew that love was returned and even though he said it I would have know anyway through his actions. Because he lived his life purposely. He may not have always been the greatest parent of spouse but we always knew he loved us. You don't always have to be perfect but you always have to try. If you never try to be the best person you can be then things will be left unsaid and undone. By trying you let people know even if you never get to say the right thing or do the right thing.

I also think that facing your own mortality is part of having that wild spirit. If you look at the most impressive and strong creatures in nature you don't see fear or worry over death. You don't see Great Whites or Tigers going to therapy because they're preoccupied with the end that is coming they just live their lives. They know one day they will be no more but it's nothing to be afraid of just something else to pass through. No matter what your world view is that's all death is, something to pass through. If you're an atheist then you believe, just like the animals, you will die and go back into the perpetual food chain. If you're of a religious world view then you believe that death is but a passage into another, and better life.

Now some people with religious views will say that death is something to fear if you're not saved. Eternity in Hell is awaiting you. Well truth be told that's my own personal view but I'm not here to preach to anyone. I honestly believe that everyone's faith is something personal and it's difficult to compare to anyone else's faith, but that's another post.

Either way death is nothing to fear in my case. Instead of running from it I charge towards it. By that I mean I live everyday the best I can. Some days that means hiking to the top of a mountain trail and viewing nature's glory and other days that means just being there for someone in an hour of need. Living life to the fullest doesn't always mean going to the ends of the earth for adventure. When living life to the fullest you just have to fill it with great memories of people not always places.

Controlling your fear of death is one of the keys to having a wild spirit. If you spend your life worrying about when death will come for you, you end up with a life like that of a squirrel. You're always wary and looking behind you. If you confront the fear of death and realize that everyone dies, I know some very famous people have done it, then you free yourself from it's grip to a degree. You become an apex predator of the food chain. You no longer fear being the prey, you walk around with a purpose and devour life. You become WILD like you were meant to be. My Grandfather is now 91 and I believe he is ready and waiting for death. Not to say that he wishes for it, but that he does not fear it. And for me I no longer fear him leaving and no longer fear death looking in my direction. We are a wild family and we are ready for whatever may come.