What one dirt biking adventure taught me about writing (and life).
A self-indulgent little womble through a one-time dirt bike adventure and an explanation as to why it's now my whole personality. Like The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance but significantly less.
Yes, sweet reader, this is one of those posts. Entirely self-indulgent and pathetically philosophical in a super duper cliche way.
TLDR: I went for a dirt bike adventure for the first time, and it is now my personality and I'm looking for opportunities to insert this adventure into literally every conversation. Here goes!
Having lived in the Top End for nearly two years, I've seen so many people with various off-road options, blatting around on their farty little machines, disturbing the peace, a beverage clutched in their free hand and their mullet flying like it was auditioning for a shampoo commercial. When I was invited to get out and get involved for a morning, I thought it would be fun. It had been a good few years since I'd ridden a road bike, and I did really miss the feeling. I decided I'd take it easy.
Fast forward to my ass smacking the seat repeatedly as I went into the 'whoopsies' while I tried to keep up, I realised I was having an amazing time, more so than I'd ever had on a road bike. This was literally one of the best days of my life. While there is no doubt that I was a true amateur at this, and far slower than the rest of the pack, I was also going too fast for comfort in an attempt to keep up. I had little control and was very much at risk of doing damage to myself, the poor bike and quite a few trees.*
"Did you see the wallabies?" I did not. I was busy making up deities to pray to, offering up my firstborn and hoping that if anyone was listening that they hadn't heart about the filthy advent of child-free Millennial women. It was at this point that my wonderful friend said something that has really stuck with me. "Your attention is like a $10 note." (I agreed, I'm cheap). "You can only spend it on the important thing in front of you. When you're learning, you can only focus on doing what you need to do (not die), but when you get better at riding you can spend your $10 on taking in your environment, because the bike is 2nd nature."
That is so true and very relevant to the pursuit of writing.
I realised it's also very relevant to burnout. We think of ourselves as multitaskers, capable of holding so much in our mind at any given time, capable of learning more each day, but I've found (having worked in some crappy environments where bullying and the like were permitted) that my focus tends to stick to the shit and the good things pass me by. It's a protective mechanism, sure, to remember all the point-scoring or protective corporate bullshit you need to survive the week and maintain your sanity and income. We all do this to some degree (I hope, otherwise I need the big kind of therapy) or other, whether it's toxic corporate poos or life problems, we go round and round the problem, like toilet water circling the bowl. Having an experience like this was a hard reminder of the importance of maintaining my good physical health, and a hard reminder in what's important and where my $10 are spent.
I've subsequently spent so many of my $10 going over that bike ride in my memory (really got my money's worth, especially given that it was wonderful, generous people who took me out and it didn't cost me anything to join in!). With the adrenaline buzz, a month after the ride, I can remember so many points so clearly, when months and months around that are a colourless blur. The memory is uplifting and joyous, and fuels me to build my strength and fitness in the hopes I can go out again soon with that awesome crew, and when I have a garage of my own, I'll be able to lift whatever I buy to drop on myself in remote, muddy locations (sorry family, it is what it is). One little adventure can change your perspective so much.
It's also interesting to think about how enjoyment can correlate with danger. There is nothing fun about dying or risking death, and so many sketchy things are very not fun and the cost does not equal more enjoyment (sky diving, anyone?). There are also plenty of stuff I've done where my enjoyment is scuppered by thoughts around what would happen if it went badly. Notably, I've finally become more comfortable with snowboarding. I'm not good, but I do now enjoy the trips down a tidy, wide mountain, puffs of cloud in my face while I sing my way down (trust me, it helps. Try it sometime, you'll thank me). It took a while to get to the enjoyment, because for a long time, my $10 was on my cold cheeks and the fact that it was a long way to fall.
The thought did cross my mind - if a buffalo comes out, or a tree hurries into my path unexpectedly, there might be people writing about me, rather than me writing in my future. After the fact, when I'd decided that, good health be damned, I'm clearly masochistic because I will be pursuing this, I did review this thought. The result: It spurred me to write faster and prioritise the stories that really needed to be scribbled. I need to really get my Pulitzer out the way now so I don't have that hanging over me when I'm throwing myself around on a bike.
Yes, we know you have a gazillion thoughts every day, etc, etc, but what do you focus on? Where do you spend your $10? I'm thrilled to report that I'm spending more and more time ironing out plots, trawling through the hardware stores considering how I could abuse use
Bruises covered my entire body and the lumps that came up when the bike landed on me haven't gone down, instead leaving a whole new profile on my leg. Good thing I'm married to a man who needs considerable help from his glasses. At one memorable point, the +100kg bike came down on me and my leg hit the engine, singing a hole through the trousers. It was fantastic. I can't wait to do it again.
*I still feel bad for the 5 trees I debarked and bent. My apologies to the tree community.
Yes, sweet reader, this is one of those posts. Entirely self-indulgent and pathetically philosophical in a super duper cliche way.
TLDR: I went for a dirt bike adventure for the first time, and it is now my personality and I'm looking for opportunities to insert this adventure into literally every conversation. Here goes!
Having lived in the Top End for nearly two years, I've seen so many people with various off-road options, blatting around on their farty little machines, disturbing the peace, a beverage clutched in their free hand and their mullet flying like it was auditioning for a shampoo commercial. When I was invited to get out and get involved for a morning, I thought it would be fun. It had been a good few years since I'd ridden a road bike, and I did really miss the feeling. I decided I'd take it easy.
Fast forward to my ass smacking the seat repeatedly as I went into the 'whoopsies' while I tried to keep up, I realised I was having an amazing time, more so than I'd ever had on a road bike. This was literally one of the best days of my life. While there is no doubt that I was a true amateur at this, and far slower than the rest of the pack, I was also going too fast for comfort in an attempt to keep up. I had little control and was very much at risk of doing damage to myself, the poor bike and quite a few trees.*
"Did you see the wallabies?" I did not. I was busy making up deities to pray to, offering up my firstborn and hoping that if anyone was listening that they hadn't heart about the filthy advent of child-free Millennial women. It was at this point that my wonderful friend said something that has really stuck with me. "Your attention is like a $10 note." (I agreed, I'm cheap). "You can only spend it on the important thing in front of you. When you're learning, you can only focus on doing what you need to do (not die), but when you get better at riding you can spend your $10 on taking in your environment, because the bike is 2nd nature."
That is so true and very relevant to the pursuit of writing.
I realised it's also very relevant to burnout. We think of ourselves as multitaskers, capable of holding so much in our mind at any given time, capable of learning more each day, but I've found (having worked in some crappy environments where bullying and the like were permitted) that my focus tends to stick to the shit and the good things pass me by. It's a protective mechanism, sure, to remember all the point-scoring or protective corporate bullshit you need to survive the week and maintain your sanity and income. We all do this to some degree (I hope, otherwise I need the big kind of therapy) or other, whether it's toxic corporate poos or life problems, we go round and round the problem, like toilet water circling the bowl. Having an experience like this was a hard reminder of the importance of maintaining my good physical health, and a hard reminder in what's important and where my $10 are spent.
I've subsequently spent so many of my $10 going over that bike ride in my memory (really got my money's worth, especially given that it was wonderful, generous people who took me out and it didn't cost me anything to join in!). With the adrenaline buzz, a month after the ride, I can remember so many points so clearly, when months and months around that are a colourless blur. The memory is uplifting and joyous, and fuels me to build my strength and fitness in the hopes I can go out again soon with that awesome crew, and when I have a garage of my own, I'll be able to lift whatever I buy to drop on myself in remote, muddy locations (sorry family, it is what it is). One little adventure can change your perspective so much.
It's also interesting to think about how enjoyment can correlate with danger. There is nothing fun about dying or risking death, and so many sketchy things are very not fun and the cost does not equal more enjoyment (sky diving, anyone?). There are also plenty of stuff I've done where my enjoyment is scuppered by thoughts around what would happen if it went badly. Notably, I've finally become more comfortable with snowboarding. I'm not good, but I do now enjoy the trips down a tidy, wide mountain, puffs of cloud in my face while I sing my way down (trust me, it helps. Try it sometime, you'll thank me). It took a while to get to the enjoyment, because for a long time, my $10 was on my cold cheeks and the fact that it was a long way to fall.
The thought did cross my mind - if a buffalo comes out, or a tree hurries into my path unexpectedly, there might be people writing about me, rather than me writing in my future. After the fact, when I'd decided that, good health be damned, I'm clearly masochistic because I will be pursuing this, I did review this thought. The result: It spurred me to write faster and prioritise the stories that really needed to be scribbled. I need to really get my Pulitzer out the way now so I don't have that hanging over me when I'm throwing myself around on a bike.
Yes, we know you have a gazillion thoughts every day, etc, etc, but what do you focus on? Where do you spend your $10? I'm thrilled to report that I'm spending more and more time ironing out plots, trawling through the hardware stores considering how I could abuse use
Bruises covered my entire body and the lumps that came up when the bike landed on me haven't gone down, instead leaving a whole new profile on my leg. Good thing I'm married to a man who needs considerable help from his glasses. At one memorable point, the +100kg bike came down on me and my leg hit the engine, singing a hole through the trousers. It was fantastic. I can't wait to do it again.
*I still feel bad for the 5 trees I debarked and bent. My apologies to the tree community.