WHATCHATHINKIN'

Mind games. Haven’t we all played these, for as long as time has been a factor in our lives.. How many weeks until the weather gets better? When will the leaves begin to show on the trees? When will the pond melt and the frogs appear at Backroads Central? How fast can I finish the NYT’s Wordle/Connections/Strands puzzle? How long will it take to finish a task – I can do it faster (and hopefully just as well).

Smart Watches and FitBits have us keeping track of sooooo many things in our lives – steps, heartbeat, calories, distance traveled, sleep and even stress levels. I don’t wear a watch and certainly would never strap one of these on my wrist, as I think keeping track of all these things would simply bring more stress into one’s life. I do own a blood pressure cuff which sits by the side of my desk and every once in a while I’ll remember to see where I stand. As a matter of fact, just writing this I put it on, only to find it reading ‘replace battery’. Hmmm, is that the devise or my heart?

Even before Garmin and other routing devices appeared, we would play the game of ‘Beat the Clock’. Knowing the mileage from point A to B, we could estimate our arrival times and always try to get there just a bit faster. As little kids in the back seat on the way to Grandma’s house for Sunday dinner, the inevitable question of ‘Are we there yet?’ would continue to annoy our parents. Would it make them drive a little fast to stop the badgering? Not sure, but we always got there when we got there, and in one piece.

When I would be in the car with my mother, whether she was driving or giving me directions, she would go five miles out of her way to avoid a traffic light. It made no difference that it took longer or there were more stop signs or congestion, she simply did not like sitting at a traffic light. She saw waiting as her demon, not the clock.

For the most part, when we are on our motorcycles, it is not a matter of beat the clock, but a day of relaxation, adventure and enjoyment. There is no rush to arrive at a certain time, there is no reason to twist the throttle a little more (other than for pure fun), and keeping an eye on the time is the last thing on our minds.

There is almost nothing better than being out during on a long summer day, the sun on our backs and the warm air surrounding us as we ride hither and yon. Out early in the morning and returning long after the sun has set, as riding on a sultry summer night is pretty close to bliss.

But in spring and fall, when the light of day is not as long and there is a chill in the air as the sun sets, there may be that thought of parking the bike before dusk sets in. Making the most of peak riding hours may have us keep the clock in the back of our minds. Lingering over a cup of coffee at a little café or stopping at that newly-discovered ice cream stand later in the afternoon may have us wicking it up just a bit to put the wheels into the driveway before the night creatures appear. But you do have a Hornet on your motorcycles, yes? A little insurance never hurt anyone, as a deer run in will.

I know when I have a planned route on my Garmin, with that purple line and mile countdown in front of me, I will ALWAYS try to beat the ‘time to destination’ in the lower righthand corner. It doesn’t matter that there is absolutely no rush, that the day is as beautiful as can be, the roads are terrific, and the route is twistalicious and scenic. It is not that I am a competitive person AT ALL, I have no need to better either an opponent (except when playing pool with Brian – just kiddin’, honey) or Father Time. It is simply that I don’t want an electronic devise telling me what I will do.

They say timing is everything. There’s a reason that I might be stuck behind the ‘headless driver’ doing 10 miles under the speed limit and I realize it when I pass the fender bender 10 miles up the road. Looking back at last month’s column, I see that time is on my mind. Guess I can’t wait for the days to get longer and warmer – it’s just a click away.