Rest is not idleness…
“and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
Or how about to gaze at your motorcycle while you lean up against a tree, letting the afternoon sun warm your soul?
On this particular day I was reminded of the John Lubbock quote that you see at the beginning of this post. Now I don’t think Mr. Lubbock was considering laying in the town center of looking at a beautiful 2004 Red Ducati ST3 when he penned the book “The Use Of Life”
However, one thing I love about finding quotes about life is applying them to motorcycle rides and adventures. Like he also said in a book he published (Peace and Happiness) in 1909..
“The whole value of solitude depends upon oneself; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell, as we ourselves make it.”
Sitting at that spot on that day back in 2018, it was a late summer afternoon, one of those days I just needed to be away from home, work and everyday life. It was a little escape of reality to find some solitude. Most of my life I’ve always looked at solitude as my sanctuary never a prison. Riding my motorcycles most defiantly qualifies as a haven of repose for me.
Sitting there on that day I thought how wonderful it would be to just take a little nap. I was reminded of a time back in the Late 80s working for a company and I was in my truck driving thru the center of this small New England town. I was going out to check on an employee who was working in this area. As I pulled up into the center of town, I noticed his truck parked on the side of the road and I could see my employee lying next to a tree on the town common. I walked up to him only to find the guy snoring loudly, fast asleep at 11am. Now I don’t remember if my company had policy on taking naps, but he explained to me he didn’t eat lunch, but instead took a 30 min nap every day.
Now that I’m in my late 50s and someone that naps several times a week, I now realize this guy was a true champion!
So, back to this day on the beautiful red Ducati. I leaned back against the tree, closed my eyes and dozed off a bit. It might have been only 15 minutes that I napped here but it was one of those memorable ones. When I opened my eyes, the Ducati was the 1st thing I saw, and brought a smile to my face. That L-twin from Bologna Italy, the red paint, the upswept Sil moto Pipes just a beautiful piece of machinery!
thank you, Mr. Lubbock and Chris, (from 1988) you both reminded me that sitting here watching the clouds float by is by no means a waste of time!
