Riding With Soul

Disclaimer: This will NOT be a commentary on that feeling you get while cruising down the highway to the beat of Marvin Gaye, Al Green, or Gladys Knight's soulful tunes coming through the headset, although that is definitely a worthy definition of Riding With Soul.

No, I'm talking about riding with THE soul... MY soul... YOUR soul...

Those of you that ride, especially longer distances spanning multiple days, will relate to a special feeling that accompanies such trips.  The inner peace that comes as a result of escaping your day-to-day world and replacing that space-in-time with a focal point that is The Ride itself.  The experience is transcendental in that it is exacting in it's demand for precision; present, yet at the same time distant; mentally and emotionally demanding, but in no way taxing;  and, although confining (the cockpit), at the same time, it is completely liberating to the mind and spirit. The feeling is not unique to motorcycling, but, I will offer that the more intimate, contemplative, and introspective the activity, especially when exercised for hours on end, day after day, the more soulful the experience becomes.

How many times have you heard, or perhaps even said, I need to refocus life's priorities, -get in touch with my myself, -find myself!!  What we are really saying is that "I need to reconnect with my soul".  I need to connect with that part of me that defines the essence of who I am.  And, lets be clear, our soul is not a part of who we are, it IS who we are.

C. S. Lewis said, "You don't have a soul, you are a soul.  You have a body".  Quite too often we identify more with what we see in the mirror rather than what resides within our eyes.  Moreover, as unique as we are in body, mind, and personality, we are equally - understandably - unique in soul.
 
But, what does our soul have to do with riding?

My soul leaps at the thought of the open road, a handful of throttle, warm sun on my face, a deep exhaust note resonating through my body, and before me...  an endless chicane of sweeping mountain curves that stretch from here to the horizon and beyond.  There are few things in life that sound more appealing.  To my soul this scene is one of pure beauty.  And beauty, defined for each of us from within our soul is itself a continual spring of renewal.  It's now wonder we dismount from our ride with a smile on our face.  Our bike has become our vehicle, not just for transportation from point A to point B but to the very core of our being.

Souls In Flight: In some Middle Eastern cultures, birds symbolize soul transporters.  The soul guide in Jewish tradition is a dove.   In Syria, the images of eagles on a tomb symbolized the guides that lead our souls to heaven.  For motorcyclists, the soul vehicle of choice is obvious.  -LD