I’ve found that there is one constant in life. That constant, which you can always depend on, is change.
Life is an ever changing, swirling miasma of experiences, events, decisions, and miscellaneous chaos. That’s what makes it so interesting, I suppose. Were it to be otherwise, we’d probably all drop over dead from terminal boredom.
We don’t really think about it much, but from the moment that we are evicted from our mother’s warm and comfortable womb the changes begin. We grow, we learn, we experience more and more of the world around us. Much of this change is good; some not so good. For the truly unlucky, change can be a terrible thing. Regardless, it’s always changing. Nothing stays the same… ever.
Yesterday evening I got together with some biker pals and we went over to a weekly biker event at a local restaurant across the Bay from us here in Tampa. For many years, we used to go to this event twice a week to meet up with our local chapter brothers and sisters and do… well, biker stuff. You know… smoke, drink, raise some hell, snort internal combustion engine fumes, etc. That kind of stuff. It was fun.
Anyway, so off we go to this event. It was blasphemous, of course, but we drove there in a truck. I don’t even have a motorcycle at this time. Economic stress forced the sale of my last bike about two years ago. This is one of the longest periods in my life that I didn’t have a motorcycle parked out in my workshop. I’m working on fixing that issue, but that’s another story for another day. Today we’re talking about change.
We go to this event to pal around and reminisce about the good ol’ days, which always seem to be any days other than ones we’re living currently. See. That’s a change thing, too. Our memories favor the days gone by and the good times we experienced back then rather than the unknown next instant. Ten years from now that unknown instant will be the “good ol’ days” of yore. It just seems to work that way, you know.
Did I have a good time with my pals? Yeah. I did. However, it reminded me that nothing is forever in this life. One pal has taken up kayak fishing. Another is spending most of his time at work and at home. Many of the regulars in our chapter who would have planned their entire week around going to these biker events were conspicuously not present. They’ve all faded away to other interests and pursuits. Their lives have changed also, as has mine.
That it is. Enjoy your life as it’s happening because you can never go back… except in your memories.
Posted by V. T. Eric Layton on 13 October 2011 in Philosophica, Reminiscences and tagged bikers, change, constant, good ol' days, life, memories.
Nothing beats riding a bike though…such a sense of freedom and exhilaration, oneness with the world.
It’s good to have had those memories, even if it wasn’t on a Harley. I never got my endorsement on my license for driving a bike, but my Jim always had it and still does.
But we don’t ride anymore either…I miss it, but I don’t think Jim could ride now with his knee from the bike accident years ago when his bike was totaled (wasn’t his fault — some guy made a left hand turn out of a parking lot — said he didn’t even see him going 5 mph below the speed limit and his headlight on … ).
Yeah, Jim would love to ride again too.
Oh, and no car beats the gas mileage either. 😉 So it’s certainly greener than a car. LOL!