Of Bikes, Adventures and Balance
We all like balance. The human body is designed to naturally balance itself on two legs, find the sweetspot and sometimes stick to it. Then of course, monotony steps in and you want to jump about, walk on a tight rope, know what it's like to 'unbalance' yourself. A sense of excitement, spirit of adventure, the holiday mood all clubbed into one activity that's fun and tests your mindset when put out of the comfort zone (that we all so cozily settle down in).
Why do we do it then? It's almost as if we deliberately want to make our lives uncomfortable, hurt ourselves on purpose! The verbally gifted definitely describe it best about how it pulls the right strings of our hearts, etc., Unfortunately, I'm not so good at it, so let me elaborate based on what I love; bikes. They are the bad boys of the automotive world, the outcasts in a society where sanity prevails. Works of art, strokes of mastery, with curves that make people go on their knees, these are some of the first things that come to mind when you spot that bike you were eying in the showroom, but turned it down because a car would've been safer, more practical and comfortable. After a lot of thought, the car purchase was done factoring in everything from 'Kitna deti hain' to 'Will it make my neighbors jealous?'. At this point, you are pleased with the balance achieved. There's no need to weather the rain, bear the heat, instead the entire kin can enjoy the holiday. The important question is, how long can you do this? On a boring day when you're stuck in a horrendous jam, just ten minutes from that meal at home, a bike roars past you and now that right string in the heart is stuck. That's it, you've had enough of your cozy air-con and have started looking up on the internet right there (we all have smartphones I presume). The process is repeated but this time, efficiency takes a back seat and the focus shifts to something else, something the mind can't comprehend or explain. It's called 'feel'.
This is what bikes do to us. The emotions when going for a ride are far more linked to the heart, decisions that defy logic and justifications which simply aren't there. Yes there are many ways of getting from A to B, some quick, some comfortable and some safe. Being a bike, it takes the more emotional route; excitement. Very rarely do bike rides go as per plan since we might get lost in scenic beauty or take a break to have an untimely snack or sometimes for no reason at all. You can't rest, there's a constant need to fight the elements, struggle to keep the thing balanced, be aware that you can't carry your wardrobe and flaunt once you reach. What it does do however is create a sense of achievement upon reaching, which for me is priceless. So go on, start saving up for that dream which you postponed because of the usual nuances of life. Stop existing and start living.
A ride envelopes all the emotions I talked about initially. It's like a responsible hipster, a courteous dictator, a logically illogical solution. Something to think about.
Why do we do it then? It's almost as if we deliberately want to make our lives uncomfortable, hurt ourselves on purpose! The verbally gifted definitely describe it best about how it pulls the right strings of our hearts, etc., Unfortunately, I'm not so good at it, so let me elaborate based on what I love; bikes. They are the bad boys of the automotive world, the outcasts in a society where sanity prevails. Works of art, strokes of mastery, with curves that make people go on their knees, these are some of the first things that come to mind when you spot that bike you were eying in the showroom, but turned it down because a car would've been safer, more practical and comfortable. After a lot of thought, the car purchase was done factoring in everything from 'Kitna deti hain' to 'Will it make my neighbors jealous?'. At this point, you are pleased with the balance achieved. There's no need to weather the rain, bear the heat, instead the entire kin can enjoy the holiday. The important question is, how long can you do this? On a boring day when you're stuck in a horrendous jam, just ten minutes from that meal at home, a bike roars past you and now that right string in the heart is stuck. That's it, you've had enough of your cozy air-con and have started looking up on the internet right there (we all have smartphones I presume). The process is repeated but this time, efficiency takes a back seat and the focus shifts to something else, something the mind can't comprehend or explain. It's called 'feel'.
This is what bikes do to us. The emotions when going for a ride are far more linked to the heart, decisions that defy logic and justifications which simply aren't there. Yes there are many ways of getting from A to B, some quick, some comfortable and some safe. Being a bike, it takes the more emotional route; excitement. Very rarely do bike rides go as per plan since we might get lost in scenic beauty or take a break to have an untimely snack or sometimes for no reason at all. You can't rest, there's a constant need to fight the elements, struggle to keep the thing balanced, be aware that you can't carry your wardrobe and flaunt once you reach. What it does do however is create a sense of achievement upon reaching, which for me is priceless. So go on, start saving up for that dream which you postponed because of the usual nuances of life. Stop existing and start living.
A ride envelopes all the emotions I talked about initially. It's like a responsible hipster, a courteous dictator, a logically illogical solution. Something to think about.
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