I just began reading the philosophical novel Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. From raving reviews, this book is well written with its ability to weave in the beauty of riding and the author’s own philosophical ideas. This is my favourite quote right now.
On a motorcycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming. That concrete whizzing by five inches below your foot is the real thing, the same stuff you walk on, it’s right there, so blurred you can’t focus on it, yet you can put your foot down and touch it anytime, and the whole thing, the whole experience, is never removed from immediate consciousnesses.
I fell in love with this quote because it resonated with my feelings and thoughts when riding a motorcycle. My dad is really into motorcycles, and has been since he got his license, and so by default I am very familiar with riding. I cannot wait for the day I can ride alongside him. This quote pinpoints how it touches your soul to be one with the bike. Whether a passenger or the driver, being on the bike is to be completely free from anything holding you back. Especially with the addition of a helmet, you are in your own little world. I often find myself talking outloud to myself when I’m riding. In this space you can let your mind run wild. With the trees whizzing by you this serene heaven extends out past you into your entire surroundings. It is all too perfect until you’re pulled back into consciousness by the reve in the changing of gears.
The second aspect of this quote I noticed was his grammar. The fourth sentence has seven commas. I’d like to believe that Pirsig did this to give the reader a sense that he was so overwhelmed by the beauty of riding, that he can’t stop to take a breath.