“Were it is possible for us to see further than our knowledge reaches, perhaps we would endure our sadnesses with greater confidence than our joys. For they are moments when something new has entered into us, something unknown.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

It is early morning, once again the skies are blanketed in hues of gray as I am trying real hard to not let it get to me. “It’s all good” however, just a minor detail in the moment. “It is as it is” and that too will only change when Mother Nature is ready to do so. For someone such as I which does not hover within cities, try not to anyhow,  it amazes me how much I like Moab. The tourists are plentiful, already after having only spend one quick afternoon parked by a Coffee shop with Internet, I had a chance to speak French and meet another traveler, “Tau”, originally from South Africa. He has been on the road for a year now, utilizing “Hostels” and “Couch Surfing”. Something maybe I should look into for those times when true shelter is needed. With a psychology background having worked much in Forth Lauderdale, we chatted quite a bit and later on checked out his uplifting “GotOptimism” Facebook page where he posts photos of others with their thumbs up. Why not? For sure a source of smiles.

I had not written much lately. My thoughts with my previous post had come to an impasse, tighter and tighter they had expanded against their own walls taking away any room to breath and think further as like a thorn this bundle of reasoning and sad reality had taken over any further room for a forwardness I like to adventure myself on step by step. I know some of my words will not gain new Friends, I also know I will loose old Friends, but I do believe in a transparency of thoughts and saying it as it is when “it is” so. My true Friends will remain as I know they will understand and respect. I do believe one needs to be honest with themselves and on specially with others when suddenly part of one of the multitude of circles surrounding us, and I do believe of everyone assuming their own responsibility, including coming forward to maybe even try to shift some foundations ill placed. I might be asking too much at times from this Life when she raises it’s curtain to show me some reality that maybe should stay hidden.

The best Pizza I have ever had within a couple thousands of miles! Note to myself… note to “Old Faithful”… “avoid Main Street Moab!

Sunshine is here, yes, Mr. Sunshine, and how exciting this is after the past gray days. Today Spirit gets one more shot as soon as I find the local Animal Clinic, it is then on to the location of the Desert Rocks Music Festival as the set up has started. A couple Friends asked me why? Why are we attending? There will be a crowd as there was last year, more this year. Just like Moab, the space of the Festival as it was last year is different for me. It is a bit as jumping on another stage for us, another territory, and yet the same as it is a beautiful setting with La Salle Mountains in the background, great Music of all kind and as past, the people present have build up a community filled with Peace and Love as maybe setting me back a few decades when Friendliness was at the forefront of gatherings. Being “there” felt right and that is all that matters.

I will be photographing the complete event this time. I am looking at it as a challenge with the camera and an all access pass I will be able to… I really don’t know what yet, but it will be there, it will be “IT”. Moab is electric, eclectic, energy within me at one of it’s highest and pleasant level where the clock’s hands which I don’t own spinning relentlessly at sometimes even an alarming rate. So much so I decided not to go to town for a while. Mr Sunshine only made a short appearance and photos with a gray sky has not appealed to me alleviating any destination I might have, had in mind as they have seen us in better settings in the past.

We had a great dinner with my Friends from Georgia. Rodolfo and Irene. Eight years it has been? More I think, and it was as we had just seen each other only a few hours ago. There is a story behind our meet with Rodolfo as I always called him my “hero”. The same with another Friend “Jay”, but Jay was not here. Riding the Georgia Mountain twisties one day I fell behind them. Kept an easy distance and yet, they would loose me at every curve never slowing down, yet never going fast on the straights. I always thought at the time I was a great rider on a red Ducati. Sure I was. This went on for miles as finally we stopped to chat and to my total embarrassment they gently made me realize I did not know how to ride, I had no clue what the “Art of the Twisties” where all about. It was at the same time that my Dear Friend Bill had taken “The Class” and forcefully encouraged me to also spend the $400 a day to learn how to ride. This is after 30 years on two wheels.

Road Atlanta was my first “Class” as there would be more for the oncoming years. It was the worse riding day of my Life filled with intimidation, nervousness and yes, I was scarred. It went on even more downhill after it. How to break the bad habits and gain the new ones. Day after day I then practiced and the day arrived months after as one day Jay rode behind me this time and congratulated me on my smoothness throughout the twisties of the greatest roads ever laid throughout those Georgia Mountains. Good memories they were and still are as today I feel more like grand pa behind the wheel, and yet enjoying the ride more than ever.

The Food store “City Market” has yet to cease to be our social hub where I also met this English gentleman “Adam”, himself on his fourth year on the road, but unlike us, “Around the World”. He also joined us for dinner and our stories as being an unassuming traveler he experienced the Georgia Hospitality which prevailed. It is such a big World, I don’t think it has shrunk a bit from the tales we heard as Adam travels like us. Very slowly. We parted. There are never good bys as surprises are always around the corner. Specially in Moab. Maybe we will see some familiar faces at the Music Festival. I know it will be good times.   

Ara & Spirit

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 14th, 2010 at 8:03 pm and is filed under travel, spirituality, pit bull, sidecar, motorcycle, cooking, photography, riding, homeless. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.