January 2023 Whatchathinkin'

WHATCHATHINKIN’

UNCLUTTER YOUR MIND

We have gotten through another trip around the sun and it was a good one. Lots of road trips, time spent with family and friends, and taking care of the iron horses we call our therapy.

I nd the end of a calendar year can be quite frenetic, between the holiday barrage and the mundane acts of end-of-year business paperwork. That December 31st date seems to come barreling up much faster than expected, like the missed exit on the interstate.

Brian has said many times that I am an overthinker, that I let simple, easy acts and decisions take over my mind. I certainly do have triggers that set off the gremlins in my head – dentist appointments and IRS interventions come to mind. My mild OCD will wreak havoc when it intrudes on my day – just today, when nished with my workout at the gym and waiting for Brian, I had to organize the magazine rack (which has material dating back many years) that was offending my sense of order.

There are many places, other than one’s mind, that clutter can affect the way things work. The other day Brian and I were speaking about the new motorcycles that have come out. The manufacturers have incorporated a lot of technology into these bikes, some helpful and some not so much. It’s been asked on several new motorcycle press launches, actually one of the rst questions when shown the motorcycle, are you Android or Apple?

The connectivity that occurs between one’s phone and the motorcycle has become just another bit of clutter that takes away from the concentration needed to operate the vehicle. This certainly can be said about car drivers – texting, phone calls, nding the right music, etc – but more and more it has taken over the minds of the motorcycle rider. 30 years ago, when I started riding, the intrusions on a rider’s brain

were minimal. Yes, we had music via Walkman and such, but the matter of directions was fairly simple: get out a map, jot down a few notes and head out for your adventure. There was no pairing of headsets to a phone, GPS and other riders. Once you strapped on the helmet, you were in your own world.

Brian used an article in The Backroads Report (our weekly e-newsletter – you DO get it, right?) stating that the motorcycle hand signals were becoming a fading language. Sure, a very large percentage of riders opt for Bluetooth communications, especially if they are often riding with others, and it is very simple to just tell your riding buddy that you’re stopping/turning/hungry/need gas than using the appropriate hand signal. The point made in the article was that the hand signal is a bit more than just a method of conveying a message but also helps to make you and the motorcycle more visible to the car drivers around you, letting them know what you are doing.

Getting back to that Bluetooth mounted on your helmet; there have been one or two tours that we’ve been on where the tour guides wanted all the riders to be connected. You think it’s distracting to have just one riding partner inside your helmet, try having half a dozen or more randomly chattering, usually about NOTHING of importance. This is the ultimate in cluttering of the mind. Brian and I both turned that noise off, feigning a broken connection. The rest of the trip was blissfully silent.

Even though we do use our GPS fairly religiously – it does make an intricate route much easier to follow than constantly glancing at the tank bag or stopping to consult a map. While I keep the voice low, I know many who turn it off completely and just glance at the screen to make sure they are still on course – similar to index cards in tank bag with a modern twist.

Brian and I have our varying modes of Bluetooth connection, which certainly are a blessing and a curse. Invariably, we will sound like those cell phone commercials – ‘Can you hear me now?’ – until we get them completely sorted out. Even then, we hardly just chatter, unless we are solving the world’s problems, but they are there for necessities – con rmation of direction, bathroom breaks and such. I think Brian listens to his music more than I, as I do embrace the silence of the ride and the attention to what is going on around me. I will listen to music when on those dreaded interstate drags that sometimes are necessary but I have enough going on in my head to entertain me and keep my thoughts otherwise occupied.

I wish you all a peaceful and uncluttered New Year with adventures galore. We’ll see you on the road. ,