Goodreads: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
This book really change my ideas about road trips and hiking/climbing. While the title implies it's a book about fixing & tuning bikes, the subtitle "Inquiry into Values" suggests something that reside within. How we approach something, and why.
What I like about the structure of the book is that it mimic what the narrator is experiencing sort of in real time, weaving between the tangible reality of a road trip and those long periods of meditation (because you can't really talk on a motorcycle).
I've also experienced that feeling of déjà vu when traveling through places I visited as a kid or as a young adult. Lifetimes ago. Phaedrus was here. My IG handle is @pha3drus (cuz the regular spelling was taken).
Within the book there are some great quotes than have echoed in my mind since I first read them.
"We want to make good time, but for us now this is measured with emphasis on “good” rather than “time” and when you make that shift in emphasis the whole approach changes."
When you are so focused on getting from Point A to Point B, you miss all the cool things in between. This is common wisdom and a well-known trope but it's not always easy in practice. When I drove down to San Diego from Portland, OR a few years ago, I booked a series of hotels & campsites along the way and it locked me into my route and rough timing. If I'd wanted to stay somewhere for an extra night it would have affected the subsequent stops and I'd likely forfeit some money (deposit or 1st night). As such, I found myself half enjoying the trip and half being aware of the miles & time. I did deviate from my plan and learned the "hard" way ($$), but I was much happier in the end.
The quote above is general advice to enjoy the ride, the journey. Serendipity.
The word "good" comes up again in Pirsig's Lila when he remembers going to the North Cheyanne Reservation in Lame Deer, Montana with his friend & colleague Dusenberry and
LaVerne Madigan. Madigan
had asked Northern Cheyenne chief John Wooden Leg about a dog during
their visit: “What kind of dog is that?” John responds, “That’s a good
dog,” puzzling Madigan, and Dusenberry and Pirsig as well. Pirsig uses
the incident to contrast the European Aristotelian approach versus the
Native American approach of defining the dog by Quality: “That’s a good
dog.”
***
"Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible and without desire. The reality of your own nature should determine the speed. If you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down. You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion. Then, when you're no longer thinking ahead, each footstep isn't just a means to an end but a unique event in itself. This leaf has jagged edges. This rock looks loose. From this place the snow is less visible, even though closer. These are things you should notice anyway. To live only for some future goal is shallow. It's the sides of the mountain which sustain life, not the top. Here's where things grow.But of course, without the top you can't have any sides. It's the top that defines the sides. So on we go -- we have a long way -- no hurry -- just one step after the next -- with a little Chautauqua for entertainment. Mental reflection is so much more interesting than TV it's a shame more people don't switch over to it. They probably think what they hear is unimportant but it never is."
"When you try to climb a mountain to prove how big you are, you almost never make it. And even if you do it's a hollow victory."
I love hiking because it immerses me in the "now". Of course as a solo hiker, you spend a lot of time in your own head, but it's not always mediation on something from the past or about the future. It's sensory hyper-awareness. I'm always aware of each step, 1000s of them. Planning my route through rocks or branches or just down a dusty path. Listening to the sounds, smells, sights, touch. I'm getting more comfortable with potential encounters with wildlife.
My recent hiking accomplishments have been a lifesaver and morale booster. I feared that my arthritis would prevent me from doing certain physical activities later in life. I reasoned that I'd rather have memories than regrets. I spent a lot of time contemplating from the couch during the pandemic. I guess in that regard I'm trying to prove my courageous self to my scared self. I've been training for a big hike in mid-Sept to the Mt St Helens Summit. Even if I don't make it to the top, I'm stoked to even be making an attempt. If I do, I will have to set another goalpost because it's been a great motivator.
The quote above is similar to The Tortoise and the Hare, "you can be more successful by doing things slowly and steadily than by acting quickly and carelessly." (source).
