Superfunkomatic - Observations of the Socially Inept

after working for several months on my old motorcycle i made a decision that may seem less than rational, and frankly probably not the best timed. it’s easy to see how one can justify, to one’s self, and others, why they made said irrational decision.

the decision - buying a brand new motorcycle, brand, spanking new.

the possible negatives - not being able to afford food when returning to school in the fall, being strapped for cash for other high-flying investments (warren buffet are you listening?), shortage of cash for things other than entertainment while riding on said motorcycle, general shortage of cash. so basically it involves a shortage of cash.

the positives - being able to “get my motor running… head out on the highway… looking for adventure…” - you know the rest. the ability to visit new far off lands like, america, or other parts of canada as yet unvisited. spend less time and money on what is an old, tired, but really cool motorcycle and invest future earnings in the burning of smaller amounts of fossil fuels but over longer distances. the unending slack jawed onlookers as i race by on my hot new ride, leaving an indelible impression on all those around. but mostly, and seriously, a hobby that allows me to think, travel, clear my head, and basically see the vast surroundings that are north america.

the justification - well, one explanation is pretty simple - life is really frickin’ short. there are no second chances. when you’re fifty, you sure aren’t going to be able to relive your thirties. you won’t ever have that same energy, outlook on life, or frankly time. missed opportunities are exactly that, missed opportunities - and i ain’t going to spend one minute thinking - “wonder what would have happened if…” when i’m sixty-four.

one fella that i had a brief encounter with in my work last summer really helped change my view of time, and taking advantage of now. turns out he always loved motorcycles, researched them, read about them, dreamt of them. in his early 50s, he gets a mysterious illness and months later dies. his last story was about how he’d always wanted a motorcycle and the adventures, and yet was never allowed by parents or his wife but mentioned - “i’ll do it someday”. well his someday never came.

people have sheltered and cloistered views of the world around them, mostly because they haven’t seen anything past their back-porch, figuratively speaking. seeing and experiencing does change ones outlook and one’s self. case in point - travelling and living in other cities several times in my life has made a measurable difference to who i am and what i believe, as opposed to friends and family members who’ve never experienced those differences. i think outlook and experience is highly underrated.

and lastly, doing something because you wan’t to, or more specifically because i want to. damnit, we do enough fucking things because someone says we should, it’s hightime that we do something that’s strictly for our own well-being. live it, love it and enjoy it while it lasts. my life as a civil servant lets me see people, co-workers and cohorts, that never do anything - a life left longing for what they’d like to do. guess what - you wake up one day and you’re old, and you still haven’t done that list of things that you wanted to.

i’m off on my journey, and rationality be damned. i’ll worry about tough times if they come, and enjoy life as it passes before me, and in the rear-view mirror.

photos of the new investment will be forthcoming, a travel diary and photos will also be forthcoming over the summer.

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