Grooves\u2026<\/p>\n
OK, I\u2019m trying my hand at this writing thing again. I wrote a story last week, but somehow through the vagaries of technology or the result of just plain blind misfortune, either fat fingers or some sort of Gremlin in my smart box had caused that tome to evaporate into the dark recesses of that mysterious cyberspace labyrinth\u2026 the nether reaches of the unfathomable Ethernet\u2026 the domain of serious nerds and geeks only, and I for sure ain\u2019t either! Anyway\u2026<\/p>\n
Tomorrow I\u2019ll have been on the road two weeks, and this is only the second time I\u2019ve felt much like writing. The first time I did what I thought was a rather creditable job of capturing the feelings of discouragement I\u2019d been feeling and of the general indifference towards continuing this trek. Actually, I\u2019d already made the decision by the time I\u2019d written that piece to just return home and wait for better times, if things didn\u2019t improve soon\u2026 a time when I was not in a weary, unfulfilling rut.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d left out on this trek in good spirits, though, but the cumulative effects of rain, long days in the saddle trying to avoid as much precip as I could, and low energy due to fatigue and the absence of excitement, had left me in a down state of mind. I was discouraged and just not on top of my game\u2026<\/p>\n
The difference between being in \u2018the groove\u2019 or in \u2018a rut\u2019 is not a matter of feet and inches, it is a function of attitude, perspective, and expectation\u2026 Is the glass half full, or is it half empty? Yes! Either way the volume of content is precisely the same, however\u2026 I, quite simply, had the wrong view of things to properly engage in this sort of spiritual travel\u2026<\/p>\n
Seeing is believing and facts are indeed facts. How we interpret those \u2018facts\u2019, however, determines what we actually think we see. No two people can view the exact same set of \u2018facts\u2019 and see precisely the same thing. Our \u2018data base\u2019 constructed over the course of our entire lives provides the backdrop for us to evaluate \u2018facts\u2019, and our \u2018state of mind\u2019 – our mood, our prejudices, our predilections, the things we\u2019ve previously accepted as truth – fill in the detail for us\u2026 I suppose I just wasn\u2019t seeing things in my usual context\u2026<\/p>\n
What changed my mind was a sequence of unrelated events that began with stepping out of my motel room that fateful morning on the day of the turn-around\u2026 In the stillness (rare for usually breezy west Texas), the sky appeared as an ink-black blanket with sequins strewn randomly about and a tiny sliver of a brilliant silver crescent moon\u2026 I\u2019d thought to myself at that moment that if I\u2019d had a prayer rug handy, I\u2019d probably have been tempted to face towards Mecca and drop to my knees\u2026 but I didn\u2019t\u2026<\/p>\n
I thought happy thoughts about how we\u2019d finally made it through the rain, and that except for the cold, we were facing relatively decent riding conditions for a spell. ALI was doing quite well\u2026 ummmm, except for that seeping fork seal on the port side\u2026 nothing bad or gushing, just a persistent, ever present slight weeping that won\u2019t go away. I should have that looked at one of these days\u2026<\/p>\n
At least I should be able to make it home without any of the stuff we\u2019d ridden through to get this far\u2026 There was an inexplicable lift from just turning that emotional corner, though\u2026 Do I really want to return to that danged ol\u2019 recliner and all that it represents? Of course I don\u2019t, but\u2026 So far, I just hadn\u2019t been enthused the way I should have been\u2026 What gives here, I inquired of myself\u2026?<\/p>\n
When I stepped back inside, the ebony fluid so vital to a return to conscious awareness was ready for ingestion, so I proceeded to give myself a clearer more realistic view of the new day\u2026 I checked the weather forecast. Temps in the low 20s, high forecast for the day to be only in the low 40s\u2026 more wind, of course, but no rain, though\u2026 Hmmm\u2026<\/p>\n
Soon enough it was time to step back outside, and\u2026 huh? The sky was cloudy by then, daylight was just beginning to make it possible to make out objects across the parking lot\u2026 and\u2026 there were what appeared to be a few small \u2018wet spots\u2019 on the pavement! I glanced over at ALI\u2019s cover, and sure enough there were some spots on there, as well\u2026 only they were shiny\u2026? Sleet! Back inside, I checked the local radar again, and sure enough there were some spotty \u2018pale blue\u2019 clouds on the map for down our way.<\/p>\n
Nothing of any consequence, and the generally tolerable forecast remained positive\u2026 By now a combination of not wanting to \u2018recline\u2019, that incredible pre-dawn sky, and the unexpected sleet had combined to both challenge me and inspire me to stay the course! A sudden but profound change in plans\u2026 I would ride on\u2026 continue the \u2018coddiewomple\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n
A goober grin adorned my face as I cheerfully went through our pre-ride rituals\u2026 do the three Ss\u2026 pack the bags, then load them\u2026 warm-up ALI\u2026 mount and depart\u2026 North instead of east, however, as my mind had become resolute\u2026 No more apathy, indifference, or malaise\u2026 nope, all that had been replaced with resolve and a modest but growing level of enthusiasm! I thought I\u2019d found my way back from the rut and into that so far illusive groove!!! I was correct\u2026<\/p>\n
That elusive groove is not something you go and find\u2026 for it must find you. It will only come to you, however, when you are ready to receive it\u2026 when you are in the proper, receptive frame of mind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Grooves\u2026 OK, I\u2019m trying my hand at this writing thing again. I wrote a story last week, but somehow through the vagaries of technology or the result of just plain blind misfortune, either fat fingers or some sort of Gremlin …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-meanderings-by-ddt-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=799"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":800,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799\/revisions\/800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}