Pulchraphilia

Pulchraphilia

   Before you run to get a bar of soap to wash my mouth out with you should know that pulchraphilia is not a bad word. If you try looking it up in the dictionary you are not likely to find the word there since the word itself is a rather new creation coined by a Jason McLennan sometime in 2010. I tried Googling it and as near as I can tell the exact definition is still somewhat fluid so I will go with the definition provided by a brilliant man and long time friend.

  Pulchraphilia (noun): The innate need to be surrounded by beautiful and well-designed environments with a particular connection to nature.

   It was this definition posted on Facebook by my friend that got me to thinking how those who design motorbikes and ride them are probably pulchraphiliacs at heart. (Hey if someone else can create a word, Why can't I?) . Now given that the word “pulchraphilia” has it roots in the latin with ‘pulchra’, meaning ‘beauty’, and ‘philia’, meaning ‘love of’, pulchraphilia would be a love of beauty. This would of course be in direct opposition to those who design enclosed environments that seal us of from the world around us, which based on my minimal command of latin would be coerceophilia, and those who lean towards those environments would by extension be coerceophiliacs, or as bikers know them, cagers.

   With my little aside on the entomology and creation of words aside, there is a point to this blog post that does have to do with one of my favourite things, motorbikes.

   There isn't much I haven't driven or rode in from a horse to a horse and buggy, to bikes (manual and motorized), to cars, to trucks, to big rigs and tractors. The equine modes of transportation provide you with a real connection to nature of course but the next best thing to me are motorbikes. As soon as you close yourself in a car, or truck similar modes of transportation you loose that connection with nature and the environment around you. These vehicles are designed to surround and enclose you (coerceo) and “protect” you from what is outside. They close you off from the sounds as radios blast while you are driving down the road. They close you off from the scents as closed windows and dangling air fresheners lock you in a private world of odours. They close you off from sights as your vision is obscured by both the size of the vehicle and the structure surrounding you.

   There is of course a trend among some bike designers towards coerceophilia as they create shrouds to surround and enclose you on your motorbike, add stereos that blast so loud the biker and every vehicle within 100 yards can hear the music, and embed ipods and phones into helmets. Perhaps I am a purest, but that feeling of the wind blowing by me, the sound of it rushing by and the sounds of the environment around me, the smells of the fields and forests as I pass through (the smell of smog and exhaust perhaps not so pleasurable), and the unobstructed sight of everything around me – these are the things that make riding my motorbike a truly spiritual experience.

   The realization that I am not surrounded by a wall of protection encourages me, perhaps even forces me to be aware or my environment and engage it and interact with it. When a passenger joins me on my bike I have to react and respond to their small movements, creating communication and interaction on a level totally different from everyday communication. As I cruise down the road I am forced to analyze and assess the possible actions of those around me in their mobile cages, a level of thought and concentration as we normally move through our environment.

   Could motorbike designers have anything but pulchraphilia in mind, even though their creations were launched long before the word? Pulchraphiliacs of the world unite – let those coerceophiliacs of the world know what they are missing. Or perhaps not. Maybe we should just keep the secret to ourselves.

Our Homeless Are The Log In Our Eye

   As our temperatures reach -30 celcius with windchills into the -40's I find my heart heavy. Not because I can't be out enjoying my motorbike, but because there are those out, on the streets, with no place to go and stay warm. It was close to a year ago that I had found myself in a very similar situation, although I did have the shelter of a car. Despite having that car when that car shut off while I was sleeping I was closer to freezing to death than I care to admit.

  

   I have kept a close eye on programs and services available to those without homes since that time and not much has changed. There are good people still trying to help, but so many still fall through the cracks. New programs have been announced but what I don't see are programs being developed with the input of those that are homeless. Sure some of those being consulted were homeless at some point in their lives, but much of what is being done is being decided by people who “know what's best” and are telling the homeless what they need. Programs like this have failure written all over them.

   There is something else that really bothers me, and though it may offend many, the fact that it happens offends me enough that I will risk the ire of some of my readers. In this city, and citys throughout the country there are churches – massive structures designed to hold numerous people with the heat running and, sadly, the doors locked! I personally don't know that God, any god, says leave your poor and suffering out in the streets, hungry, cold, and with no shelter.

   I understand that in times such as these there are dangers, both health and physical, in bringing strangers into your own home. I am also aware that governments, local, municipal, and on up, have put in place limitations and restrictions on what and were these individuals without homes can be gathered and housed, so the fault does not lie within the churches or the people of the churches alone. It is the general malaise of society that has us directing our leaders to herd and house the homeless away from everyone else as though they are lepers and the dregs of society that need to be separated and isolated.

   Any one of us could find ourselves among this group. Many of us live one paycheck away from being on the street. Disasters can hit anyone of us at any moment leaving individuals and communities without shelter or food. And none of us can control the actions and behaviours of other individuals that can leave us reeling and without resources.

   While this may sound like a rant against the churches and society it is not. It is merely the observations of an individual who has been on both sides of this picture. My observations also tell me though that there are many good people out there to. People on both sides of the picture. Individuals who know that actions speak louder than words. Whether motivated by their religious beliefs, or merely by their sense of responsibility for their fellow man, there are those who are open, and understanding, and non-judgemental who will help where they can, when they can. People who realize that while we are trying to cure the ills of the world in other societies, we leave others to falter out our own back doors.

   There is a quote in the Bible that says something to the effect of “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” Our homeless are the log in our eye (at least they are one of the many logs in our eye).

   Yes, I am fully aware that I am voicing a judgement when I probably have a few huge logs of my own stuck in my eye. But if one person reads this and takes an action that helps someone else in even the smallest way I have accomplished what I wanted to. As you head into the coffee shop, the restaurant, or the grocery store keep in mind that person sitting out on the street. In this deathly cold weather invite them in with you and buy them a coffee or a meal. Take a few minutes to get to know them. You may be surprised what you find out and even learn. And as you make donations to help individuals in other countries keep in mind that we ourselves are doing the same to our own people.

Self Portraits

  There are artists that have recorded their lives in a series of self portraits painted or drawn over many years. It is interesting to examine these portraits. As you compare the portraits from a person's youth to those of the older artist it often appears as though the images of the more senior artist reflect more of an internal insight than just the simple external appearance. Of course, this may simply be the result of the skills of the artist improving over time, enabling them to transfer that inner person to the canvas.

   All of us though, artists or not, have a self portrait that we try and present to the world each and every day. As children that self portrait is a true reflection of our inner selves, concealing nothing. As we age though we develop this image of ourselves (in a sense a self portrait) and to make that image reality it is what we present to others around us.

   It is just my personal opinion, but I think that for most of us that self portrait we present doesn't really reflect our true selves until much later in our lives, after experiencing life and its many twists and turns and gaining the wisdom that comes with that experience.

  Don't misunderstand me. I am by no means saying that I am wise, though I do hope I have gained some wisdom over the years. There is a school of thought though that states that true wisdom lies in knowing what you don't know, not what you do know. In my case there is a hole lot I don't know which would make me truly wise.

  Eckhart Tolle said “On a deeper level you are already complete. When you realize that, there is a playful, joyous energy behind what you do.” Maybe that is why as a child our self portraits are such a true reflection of our inner self. As children we let that playful, joyous energy shine through in everything we do, though it doesn't take long for the world to start muzzling that. It isn't until much later in life that many of us let the world do what it wants and we return to that childlike state.

  If I tried to remember all the self portraits I would have painted of myself over the years they would be many an varied but in many ways I think I have come full circle. As a child there were a few things that I truly enjoyed. Writing was one of them, and that has stuck with me in some form or another throughout my entire life. Riding my bike was another, though at that time my bike was a CCM pedal bike (just a few less horsepower then my current bike). I travelled the world on that bike – well at least the world of North Bay, for hours on end with my friends, exploring and discovering everything there was to discover.

What would my self portraits look like if I had to describe them? I think if I was to use motorbikes at metaphors for my life I probably started my life as a classic Indian Chief motorbike, basic, typical for the time, good looking, and fun. I went from there to a custom chopper (after-all everyone wants to be cool in their teenage years).

  From there I would have been a crotch rocket, racing ahead in life trying to get the prize.

 At some point I became an old Ural, rode hard, beat up, barely hanging together, but still an inner strength to me for someone to discover.

Now, I picture myself as that Indian Chief again, with the classic soft lines (and getting softer by the day) but easy going, laid back, and enjoying life.

Full circle! I no doubt missed a few versions of myself in there which my friends will remind me about but this is a self portrait.

So what do your self portraits look like?

Calgary Motorcycle Show

We attended the Calgary Motorcycle Show yesterday and as always it was impressive, but lacking a little bit over past years. Other than the throngs of people moving through the Round-Up Center (am I the only person who gets totally annoyed when two people stop to talk in the middle of a narrow aisle forcing everyone to try and navigate around them) there was some interesting things to see.

While the new models are impressive I just don't seem to like the lines of most of them. Perhaps I am old school but I prefer the softer lines of many of the old bikes without all the adornments and gadgets. There were several “custom” bike shops there who all seem to do nice work, but most of the bikes they had were just rehashes of the usual custom rides, nice but nothing that stood out to me.

Calgary Motorcycle Show

Calgary Motorcycle Show

Sadly missing from the show this year was the extensive display of vintage rides. They did have a few out, but nowhere near what has been at the show in the past. The usual display of truly unique and quality custom rides wasn't there either. It is great that so many new people are getting into motorbikes and I understand it is a business so dedicating the space to new bikes makes sense but I think we are missing something by not having the opportunity to appreciate the vintage rides and the unique custom work.

Of course the new Indian bikes were there, and while they maintained some of their classic lines they just aren't the same with all the electronics and modern amenities on them. I want an Indian but what I want is the 1945 Indian Chief. That's not asking too much, is it? I'll take it in parts and pieces if I have to but some day . . .

5 Simple Rules To Live By

As we were cleaning out a room to set up a new office space and a new home for my desk my partner came across a well worn little slip of paper. On this paper were “5 Simple Rules To Be Happy”. It was given to her many years ago by one of her friends when she was going through a rough time and it stayed on her desk at work for a long time, and with her for a much longer time. Theses rules kind of hit home when I read through them.

1. Free you heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live Simply
4. Give More
5. Expect Less

Pretty simple when you look at them, and pretty effective when you put them into practice. The first one really resonates with me because it is so easy for many of us to hate, but we fail to recognize that our hearts are much like the gas tank on a motorcycle (or any other vehicle for that matter).

Okay, okay, I can hear the eyes rolling back as many of my readers try and figure out just how I am going to equate a motorcycle's gas tank and a heart. It is pretty simple really!

Your gas tank has a limited capacity. Now you can put anything you want into that gas tank from high octane fuel, to regular fuel (I shudder at the thought), to sugar. As you fly down the open road you get that sense of thrill and joy, using up some of that fuel. The wider you open the throttle, the faster you fly, the greater the sense of thrill and joy. All the time, while you are burning off that fuel you are making room for more fuel to go into that tank. If you fill that tank with crap fuel or anything else, you are not going to get anywhere fast as your system plugs up and possibly shuts down altogether which means there is no room to put in new fuel.

Our hearts are much the same. If we fill them with love it will take us flying through life and the more love we give, the more we receive. If you fill your heart with hatred it will stop you dead in your tracks. It will sit and rot and fester and leave no room for anything good to enter your heart.

So clean out the crud and fill your heart with some high octane fuel. You will be amazed at the results!!

The Year Ahead

  As this Christmas moves into our rear view mirrors it becomes a time of reflection and planning for many, the preparations to enter the new year with a plan of action. I find myself with a lot to reflect after a whirlwind (or perhaps tornado would be the more appropriate descriptor) year, and some exciting plans. It was almost a year ago that this blog started as my thought process after finding myself on the streets, with virtually nothing. The blog was a bitter, sad, angry compilation when it started. It has progressed over the year to something more, which thankfully many seem to enjoy.
I hope that this blog always encourages its readers to think about others, and helps those in tough places to find some small bit of hope. I hope it encourages some comtemplation and deliberation. I hope it reveals some perspectives on life and the people around us that may not be so obvious to everyone. There are those individuals who take from others and take no concern in destroying the lives of others in pursuit of their own goals. Whatever their reasons or motivations, I can't help but feel a little sorry for these people because I don't think they can ever really be happy.

One of the things I would like to do with this blog is introduce you to others who have come from tough places and situations and are working to overcome their challenges. I am looking for suggestions from my readers on individuals whose stories would be of interest to others. In keeping with the theme of this website, if these individuals ride a motorbike it would be fantastic. I am looking for people who live within a days bike ride from Calgary so I can ride out on the motorbike, sit down and have a coffee and conversation, maybe go for a ride, then head back home and share this person's stories with my readers here and at Motorbike Zen.

In the next year I will be returning to some of the work that I truly love. My blacksmithing and horseshoeing. After the year long hiatus Steppin' On the FrogFarrier Service will be starting back up. I will be starting to take on new clients in late February and March and am pretty excited about returning to horses in this capacity. I will also be retooling my shop and taking on more blacksmithing projects as Akasha Forge &Foundry.

Of course I will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of bike riding weather so I can return to the open roads and enjoy the wind rushing past me, my partner holding on tight to my waist as we lean into the corners.

I look forward to a good year ahead and I hope all of you have a good year as well.

The Spirit of Christmas

“It's the most wonderful time of the year” or so the song tells us. Unfortunately for many that is not the reality of Christmas. Christmas time is in fact one of the most depressing and stressful times of the year.

Now if you are a biker like me it is a depressing and stressful time of year because are rides are closed up and covered up in some garage or shed just waiting for the sun to shed enough warmth on our part of the world to allow us to ride the blacktop again. It is not just bikers that don't like this time of year though, but individuals from all walks of life.

Personally I find Christmas a challenging, difficult, and frustrating time of year. Frustrating because, unlike the song says, I find Christmas to be the most hypocritical time of the year. Everyone get's into the “Christmas spirit” as Christmas approaches, loving and giving and helping other people and a variety of causes. They give, and help and support – until Christmas is over – and then they forget that joy and peace, the people and causes, and retreat into their own selfish little worlds for another 11 1/2 months. Of course many retreat into those worlds because they are busy dealing with the excesses of the Christmas season. After-all it is no longer the thought behind the gift that counts, but the value and size and whether or not it keeps up with the neighbours.

Hard times can fall on any of us at any time. Many fail to realize that. I failed to the true reality of that up until the last year, and were it not for the loving and caring of people who truly carry the spirit of Christmas in their hearts year round I could easily be having my Christmas at least alone, if not worse. My best Christmas gifts this year are the ability to spend it with people I love and care for, and who feel the same about me; time I get to spend with family (though there are family and friends I wish I could just reach out and tell them how much I love them); the fact I have a roof over my head; and a job I truly love.

The fact that this Christmas season in Calgary is warm enough to get my bike out for a ride is a bonus.

I truly hesitate to wish anyone a merry Christmas – but I will wish for all that they keep the spirit of Christmas in their hearts year round and with everyone you deal with. May the spirit of Christmas haunt you through each and every day of your life.