JustAL Loqui

Tag: Hoka Hey

  • Push Your Boundaries

    When was the last time you pushed your boundaries? What can we claim as a victory if there was no risk to the endeavor? Many are content to spend their days in a routine; get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV, go to sleep… day after day after day, week after week, year after year. I think many of us do not even realize we are in a rut.

    Try something daring and see what happens. Yea, you might fail and that’s OK. Fail with a smile on your face knowing you got out of the rut for just a little while. You might be amazed at just how fulfilling that failure can be.

    I recommend you start small; maybe try a new way to make brownies (box mix not allowed) or take a different way to work. Turn the TV off for just one night and read a book. The right book will stir your soul and create in you a desire to step out of your comfort zone. Great accomplishments come with great risk.

    I refuse to live in a rut… even something as simple as taking a different way home from work will brighten your day because you will see things that will be missed if you stay in the rut.

  • Excerpt from, “Solitary – Without The Confinement”

    A short excerpt from my soon to be published book, “Solitary-Without The Confinement”

    …There is a memory in my head that is as clear as if it happened this morning. When the grandparent’s house was filled with grandkids it was a special treat to be the one who got to sleep on the couch in the living room. On one particular weekend I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of that treat. I was quite young, perhaps seven or eight years old. I woke up very early one morning before sunrise and saw my Grandfather sitting in his chair looking out the window. There was no radio playing, no lights were on and the small black and white TV was turned off. The only light in the room came from the glow of his pipe as he smoked it.

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    As he put the pipe to his mouth the increased glow of the pipe illuminated his face and gave it an uncanny glow; highlighting the lines and features of his face. It was apparent to me, at this young age, that his mind was intently engaged, but I had no idea what he was thinking about. I laid there and watched him for a time then drifted back to sleep; to this day I wonder what he was thinking.

    I miss them both and regret the times I could have spent with them but did not because of some event I felt was more important; like spending time with friends. The sad truth here is I can’t remember the names of most of these “friends” now. Little did I know I had missed an opportunity of a lifetime; an opportunity that is gone now and can never be reclaimed…

    Hope you enjoyed this little tidbit… more to follow, but not much more, just some teasers. You’ll have to buy the book to get the whole story. Anticipate the book hitting the streets around the middle of January.

    My book is illustrated by Lacey King; an up and coming graphic artist.

     

  • Words Speak Louder Than Action

    Wait, that’s not right. I can say anything, but if my actions do not bear witness to my words then my words mean nothing. Sadly, sometimes our words paint us into a corner and we fail. Our words out-maneuver our intent. Other times we accept the words of others as truth without first verifying their intent and we fall prey to foolishness.

    Let’s talk about a few words and see how they play out:

    Integrity – Does not mean you never make a mistake. But what it does mean is if you make a mistake you claim responsibility for that mistake and act proportionality to correct it.

    Endurance – Many claim to possess it, very few actually do and even fewer still put it to the test.

    Honor – Has nothing to do with words. But has everything to do with actions.

    Wisdom – Has nothing to do with how many big words you know. But has everything to do with how you act in a difficult situation that words have created.

    Compassion – Has very little to do with how you think, but that’s where it starts. Compassion with no action is pity.

    Strength – Has nothing to do with holding 100 pounds over your head for long periods. But what it does mean is an ability and desire to help a friend hold that 100 pounds.

    Kindness – Has everything to do with a kind and charitable act… so long as you don’t expect anything in return.

    Purity – None can claim it, but many do.

    Courage – Is not being fearless, but acting even though you are scared to death.

    Leadership – The ability to win the trust of people around you to such an extent that they want to follow you. Forced leadership is not leadership; it’s tyranny.

    Verbally claiming these traits is contrary to the trait being claimed. These traits are assigned to us by those who know us best.

  • What Riding Can Do For You – Proof Provided

    The riding community is a combination of every walk of life, every gender (there are two if you are unsure), every race, nationality and creed. We all ride for different and multiple reasons. The one reason that spans all walks of life is, “for the fun of it.”

    I’m not an overly intelligent person so I’m not able to adequately describe, or put into eloquent words, why it’s fun; it just is.

    There are others reasons as well; economics, availability of parking spaces at work and possibly because you can afford a bike, but not a car. Regardless, we ride.

    Over the past 30 years I’ve conducted a number of study groups using thousands of paid subjects and numerous computer programs and post-graduate students to calculate the results and… wait, that’s a lie. I’ve not done any of that. I did read a book on it once, but since there were very few pictures in the book I never finished it.

    But here is a truth. Riding is good for the overall well-being of the rider (unless acted on by a texting cager). Here is the proof…

    This is a picture of people who do not ride…

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    Here is a picture of people who do ride…

    3313912As you can see the riders appear much happier than the non-riders. I take this as proof that everyone should ride; the world would be a better place if we did.

  • Solitary – Without the Confinement

    What is this all about? Everyone knows what “solitary confinement” is.

    solitary_confinement

    But what is solitary without the confinement?

    I guess you can put any definition you like to that, but here is how I explain it when asked. Solitary without the confinement is a condition in which we place ourselves with intent. There are those who enjoy solitude and seek ways to facilitate that condition. There are some who dislike being alone and work diligently to always be in close proximity to others; I am not one of those. I’m not saying one is better than the other, just stating a fact.

    Any avid rider knows when we ride we are alone; even if riding in a group. While riding our iron horse we are secluded from the world. Our ride takes us away from the troubles of life. No so far that we evade our troubles but far enough away that we can think though them clearly. If you do not like being alone then I suspect long distance riding is not your forte. To enjoy the solitude of riding you must first and foremost be comfortable with yourself. But, on the other side of the coin, if you are not comfortable with yourself I would submit a series of long rides would open the door to understanding who you are and hopefully, with that knowledge, change in such a way where you are comfortable with yourself. If you are not content with yourself you will never be content with another person. You will always yearn for something just outside of your reach.

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    The book “Solitary – Without the Confinement” is a narrative of what permeated my thoughts while out there alone, riding that 8000 mile endurance challenge. I will not say it will be a number 1 best seller, but, considering this is the first book I have written, I can attest to the fact it is the best book I have ever written. But I digress a bit…

    This BLOG touches on riding and what befalls the rider. Perhaps a better way to explain it is, “This BLOG reaches for the real purpose of riding.” Numerous articles, books, notes and BLOGs are out there about riding and each makes an attempt at helping non-riders understand. But words alone cannot explain it. Avid riders already know the purpose so there is no need to explain it. But there’s more…

    I will not confine (no pun intended) this BLOG to the book’s intent. A rider, like any person, has outside interests and thoughts not associated with riding. So, considering this is my BLOG, I choose to write on many topics. My hope is you enjoy them all, but understand some you will like and others you will not. Don’t dump me based on a single article you do not like or disagree with. Feel free to comment about your disagreement; I have very thick skin and you will not offend.

  • Zen – Part 3

    In part three of “Zen and The Art of Group Riding” we will discuss the cager.

    A cager is not your friend, not necessarily by design or intentional, but the fact remains. It’s hard enough to outmaneuver a cager when riding single, but riding in a group only means the cagers will find themselves in a target rich environment. While riding single the cager must take calculated aim and cater the approach to ensure a hazardous interaction. In a group all they need to do is change lanes and they are going to hit someone without even trying. We all know what the first words spoken by the survivor of such encounters are, “But Officer, I DIDN’T SEE THEM!!!” Of course they don’t mention the fact they were texting or taking a picture or looking for their favorite CD just about the time they made contact with the rider.

    texting_2I’m not privy to the statistic showing the percentage of riders hit by cagers verses rider only accidents but I feel safe in saying the cagers are leading the pack in kill ratio. The driving habits of cagers is probably one of the specific reasons authorities will not allow us to carry a gun. Were it my call not only would we have direct fire capability in the group we would have the ability to call for in-direct fire as well as air cover for tactical support. Sadly, even the occasional direct fire intervention seems to bring about unwanted attention. Not sure why. So, suffice it to say we must keep our eyes on them and maintain situational awareness of all cagers in our vicinity.  Take your eyes off of them for one second and they will put you in the ditch.

    texting_1As far as 18-wheelers are concerned, I will sum that up in a very short sentence. While passing an 18-wheeler consider yourself knocked down a few notches on the food chain. An 18-wheeler transporting livestock carries its own set of hazards; hazards which should be avoided at all costs.

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  • Zen – Part 1

    Ideas set forth in this series of articles are personal in nature and do not reflect the opinion of any particular club, any state law (unless specified) nor the opinion of that State Trooper who just wrote you a ticket for some seemingly unnecessary reason.

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    For a biker the only thing cooler than seeing a long procession of bikes on the road is being part of that procession. Riding as a group has innumerable advantages and disadvantages. Advantages range from development of an “Esprit-De-Corps”, group or club cohesion, personal protection, and a grand show of support for a particular event, cause or rally. The list could go on and on, but I think we would all agree, regardless of the premise, a group run is an awesome sight. The more bikes there are the better the show.

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    However, I believe disadvantages are more numerous than the advantages. Perhaps “disadvantage” is not the correct word here; let’s refer to them as “obstacles” or possible “hazards.” It can be said the more riders you have the more obstacles come into play. This is a true statement for no other reason than the accumulation of different riding styles and varied levels of experience. The people drawn to riding are a different breed; a little more independent, a bit more self-reliant, and slightly more capable of handling adversity than the average person. Perhaps not a hardened rule 100% of the time, but I choose to believe it is the case more often than not. Take all these self-reliant, independent people and put them together and the mix can be precarious at best. Some riders enjoy the leisurely ride down a winding road with the occasional stop at a scenic view while others enjoy pushing the limits of the envelope; going from point A to point B as quickly as possible.

    While riding with a group, all personal riding preferences need to take a back seat for the benefit of the group. A maneuver you do every day and feel comfortable with could create confusion with other riders or create an unsafe environment. Some riders prefer the 2 second rule while others use a 4 second rule, still others live on the edge and use the 0.5 second rule. Some ride side by side, others prefer staggered. Some clubs have set rules and are unwavering with regard to these rules. Some understand defensive riding, but feel offensive riding is more fun.

    If you ride because it is an economical mode of transportation then you may not understand the premise of these articles. If you ride because it is your passion, your way of life, your reason for existing then it is possible you will find these articles boring because all this information has rolled through your head already while riding that endless road. I would submit to my fellow riders that thinking while riding is all there is to do; that and look for State Troopers. I’ll not bore you with group hierarchy or hand signals; these are, for the most part, universal across this great nation of riders. What I will try to convey to you is a set of ideas that will not only give you a moment of pause (hopefully), but also try and set the stage for a needed sense of urgency for the safe and organized group ride.

    More to follow….

  • Zen and the Art of Group Riding

    If given a choice of riding with a group or riding solo I would prefer to ride solo. However, there are some caveats to that. If riding in a benefit or a community event then the group dynamic is probably what you are going to engage. If I know all the riders in the group and have ridden with them in the past then I don’t mind… So much.

    Family and Friends
    Family and Friends

    It’s that new group of people who set me on edge. I don’t know them, I don’t know their riding styles nor do I know their riding ability. There are a number of dynamics that come into play while in a group ride. Some are good and some are not so good.

    Over the next few weeks I am going to submit, through this BLOG, a series of thoughts about the group ride. We’ll call it, “Zen and the Art of Group Riding” for lack of a better title.

    I hope you will join me and I sincerely hope you will provide to me your ideas and comments on my thoughts. I take constructive criticism very well… unless of course it comes from a family member, friend, co-worker, associate or a stranger.