Maybe a Motorcycle

When I was a kid, I had a blue and silver mini-bike with a black leather seat. I loved that crazy mini-bike and I thought I was totally hot stuff when I rode it back and forth on mom and dad's long concrete driveway and all around the yard. That's right, people ... I was a mini-bike stud back in the day, especially when I was dressed in my green Army pants and hiking boots. I'd bet my old mini-bike's top speed wasn't more than 25 mph, but it may as well have been the fastest Harley ever made as far as I was concerned. Though in reality I never left home on my mini-bike, in my imagination I was riding over the hills in Ireland or down cobblestone streets in Mexico or across the beaches of California or through the snow in Iceland. Yep ... I had many a grand adventure on that little blue and silver mini-bike ... many a grand adventure indeed.

A few weeks ago I was asked the following question: "What one word would describe how you feel about your life in general at this moment in time?" Almost immediately I replied, "Unsettled." I didn't pause to contemplate ... I didn't hesitate from uncertainty ... I didn't need time to think it over. "Unsettled," I said again ... "I just feel unsettled." I've thought a lot about both that question and my answer as well, and quite honestly, I'm a little troubled by how quickly the answer presented itself in my mind. Unsettled isn't the word I want to describe how I feel about my life ... I'd rather the word be happy or excited or fun or blessed ... but unsettled? Really, seriously ... the first word that pops into my mind is unsettled? What does that even mean? Routine or dull or even lonely would be better words than unsettled.

Me being me, I looked up the definition of unsettled, and I was more than a little surprised by what I read ... "feeling nervous, upset or worried" and "not yet finally decided or dealt with." Don't worry, I'll say what we're all thinking ... that's just plain old downright creepy. I was still rolling all of the info about the definition around in my head as I drove home from work when another thought pushed its way into my mind. "I know what I need ... I need a motorcycle." I'm not quite sure what a motorcycle could possibly have to do with making me not feel unsettled; in fact, more than likely, it would just make me feel more unsettled. It's probably a good thing I'm too chicken and too broke to buy one ... it's probably a really good thing.

But then again ... maybe a motorcycle ...