Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Perspective

Sometimes a little distance is needed to put things in perspective. When you face a challenge and you're not sure that you've got what it takes to make it through.

I remember when I was a kid. My friends and I would dream up challenges. It usually involved feats of daring-do. Jumping across ditches or streams that we would encounter in the summer when we were marauding on our bikes, for instance.

On those occasions, if you weren't sure that you could go the distance, you took a good few paces back and took a running leap instead of the usual lunge and jump. Sometime you cleared. Sometimes you ended up sopping wet and muddy.

A leap of faith often requires a mental step back before you run up to the challenge and launch yourself into space.

Scooters are good for that. They let you get your body into a different space quickly and efficiently. The physical view from the new space sometimes offers the inner distance you need to make the jump.

Lafontaine Park is where I found yesterday's inspiration. Fifteen minutes on a Vespa.

Happy Independence Day to friends and family in the US!

5 comments:

Keith - Circle Blue said...

I, too, have found my scoot to be a vehicle to change perspective and clear my mind for new thoughts to bubble up. I've also found it to be a bit of a time machine. Time moves differently when I'm riding. This, too, opens up new lines of thinking.

Nice post. Thanks.
~Keith

SonjaM said...

You are not planning any daredevil stunts on your Vespa, are you?

I fully agree that scootering offers a different perspective and time becomes secondary.

Trobairitz said...

That picture is a great perspective.

I can see how it would be a great destination when a change of perspective is needed.

Thanks you for the 4th wishes. We spent the day replacing a kitchen window and now turning up the radios to drown out the fireworks so the cat isn't too scared.

Baron's Life said...

As I told you in the email, I had a Piaggio 150 (Vespa) in Singapore and the wife had a Yamaha scooter 150...I also owned a Honda 400CM.
We enjoyed taking evening rides from Singapore to Johor Bahru (Malaysia) and have a bite to eat and then head back. Traffic in Singapore was quite civilized but once you crossed the border in Malaysia, you had to deal with pedestrians, cars, scooters, bicycles, lorries,taxis, Buses, monkeys, chickens, animals occupying and crossing the road all over the place and all this at what seemed to be speeds of 100 Km/hr. Your blog has inspired me to look at the possibility of getting a Vespa again because I agree a Vespa does give a different perspective not only to riding but to life in general. Ride safely

David Masse said...

Keith, thanks for the kind words.

Sonja, daredevil? Yes, kind-of. But I'll be fooling around with my professional life, not with the laws of physics, so broken egos, maybe, broken bones, not likely.

Trobairitz, (I finally got that extra "r" out of your screen name), poor kitty, still it's only once a year. I don't suppose lending you earplugs would be appreciated. Might give the cat something to distract her though.

Baron, riding in Singapore! Now that would be an experience to savour and remember. Check out Vespa Gonzo's blog in the sidebar. He's in Singapore marauding to and from work on a new Vespa.

The copyright in all text and photographs, except as noted, belongs to David Masse.