Uphill in 5th Gear ...part 2

I was thinking, from a global standpoint, how much fuel we could all save if we really DROVE the car. Not just stomp on the gas pedal. If we really looked at our surroundings, and noticed how green the trees were, and how pretty the view was instead of talking on the cell phone, or worse, texting as we drive and never really see our beautiful landscapes as they fly by us at 60+ miles per hour. How much more calm we would be, the blood pressure would be lower, the road rage would seem to disappear into thin air around us, and we would breathe, even smell the earth, the mossy scent of the forest and the fragrance of the flowers as we pass by.

Many of our issues could be resolved if we really learned to drive the vehicles we depend on. Fewer emissions, less fossil fuel consumption, stress relief, ...really...think about it.

What I realized is that Ive been living my life the way Ive been driving the suburban, uphill in 5th gear. Give it more gas it'll get there somehow. Instead of enjoying the ride, and paying attention to the road. You can make better decisions if you pay attention and enjoy the ride.

My family has a saying, that we are always "running at 90-miles per hour", and its true -too true really. Everything is frantic, last minute deadline, high stress, gotta get it done now...
I'm not sure if we know how to live any other way. Maybe that's the problem. We need a restart here, hit the pause button and slow down. It does seem that everything ends up that way, in a heated rush. And please understand that we are not "lazy" people. Quite the contrary, however, we never seem to finish in a blaze of glory without the pressure. Well, I'm sick of it.

We spent Saturday nights at the races in Loudon, New Hampshire at Bryar Motorsport Park, now the New Hampshire Speedway, watching and being the pit crew for my dad and his short track racing endeavors. He rarely if ever came in second place, but that's the pressure I'm talking about. There's someone right behind you pushing you forward...right on your heels, breathing down your neck...can't let them pass you...got ttoo goooo ffaaasssttterrr...gottt ttto gget the the ffinishhh lllline fffiiiirrrsstttt......YES! I win, I win! Did I?

Honestly sounds like an orgasm doesn't it? Well, maybe that's it, hoping that each build up will climax with, well, a climax. It never works that way when someone else pushes you, you have to push yourself, and more pleasure comes from that to be sure. I seem to forget that part.

I love the sex analogy, that just kind of happened, but really... we equate everything to sex and pleasure. Sometimes its the only pleasure, and sometimes not. But we are forever in the pursuit of that feeling. That all the build up has a pleasurable climax to make it worth the effort.

My current stat of affairs has afforded me, lets say...perspective. There are things that I want, there are things that I have, and there are things that I need. I have many talents, I have many passions, and I have perspective now. So, maybe that's the recipe for success. A real success, not based on my bank balance, or my accumulated things...but a success based on my happiness. Happy with what I have, contented in where I am and enjoying my life because I make my living doing what I love. Which gives me time to smell the land and appreciate the feel of mountain water on my feet, or the dirt in my teeth after an awesome trail ride, or being able to still feel the vibration of the bike in your hands and the motor's heat between your thighs. This is life and it is great to live it. How I want to, not because I have to have this or pay that, that's living on someone else's terms, its time to live on my terms, have my virtual orgasm-and enjoy the ride.