motorcyclemeditation.com

Early spring, blue sky, light wind, the motorcycle spinning beneath. Gentle rhythms of the journey and sun’s warmth combining, relief at the retraction of winter, like a soft cerebral massage. One of those distinctive motorcycle moods, in tune with the road, but mind floating.

Last night, dinner with my daughter, catching up. Her early teaching career carrying pressures but also rewards, the rewards more noticeable in the telling than at the time, she says. Still, a sweet little episode standing out, smiling on the motorcycle at the thought, her project to take the youngsters over the road to a lending library, none in a class of forty knowing that such a thing might be.

Behind the motorcycle, a car going too fast, overtaking, could give it a lesson in manners, nah, another time, too peaceful today.

The school’s endless bureaucratic procedures duly negotiated, the class crocodiled across the road, the library invaded by swarming children, its customary hush exploded. After a while, a book to be taken out, one each. No Roseanne choose one put the other one back. No Adam you can’t take that one, Benjamin’s chosen it already. Jamelia, stop that noise, and wait your turn. Eventually, back to school.

Two weeks later, okay class bring in your book tomorrow, we need to take them back. Incomprehension all round. But miss, but miss. The situation patiently explained.

On the motorcycle, traffic ahead, the speeding car held up, overtaken, so long pal.

The school term now at an end, classes breaking up, one child discussing something with my daughter. The child’s friend tugging at her arm, c’mon let’s go. The discussion continuing, the tugging becoming insistent, my daughter eventually asking, what’s the hurry, where’re you going. Oh, the library miss, we go there every day now.

Sitting on the motorcycle, pondering this, warm glow suffusing, proud of my daughter. From such tiny beginnings, who knows how that particular seed will sprout. Wish I had more opportunity to make such an important difference to the world.