92 MPH
Jax Teller
Sons of Anarchy
Something happens at around 92 miles an hour. Thunder headers drown out all sound.
Engine vibration travels at a heart’s rate. Field of vision funnels into the immediate, and suddenly, you’re not on the road, you’re in it, a part of it.Traffic, scenery, cops, just cardboard cutouts, blowing over as you pass.
Sometimes, I forget the rush of that. That’s why I love these long runs. All your problems. All the noise, gone. Nothing else to worry about, except what’s right in front of you.
Maybe that’s the lesson for me today. To hold on to these simple moments. Appreciate them a little more. There’s not many of them left. I don’t ever want that for you. Finding things that make you happy shouldn’t be so hard.
I know you’ll face pain, suffering, hard choices, but you can’t let the weight of it choke the joy out of your life. No matter what, you have to find the things that love you, run to them.
There’s an old saying; “That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
I don’t believe that. I think the things that try to kill you, make you angry and sad.Strength comes from the good things. Your family, your friends, the satisfaction of hard work. Those are the things that will keep you whole. Those are the things to hold on to when you’re broken.
The story is about Jax and a journal he found from his father. It’s just a movie, but those are the things that reflect our lives. This speaks to me. I like to ride. I’ve done it my whole life. I wrote something a while back that speaks to this. I say ‘a while back’ but it’s been over 20 years. I guess time flies when you’re having fun. The post I wrote was the first thing I wrote for CMA. October 2002 is the date of it, and you can read it HERE.
As I have gotten older, it’s harder to ride. Long distance is something I miss and maybe with the rowing machine work, it will be possible once again. To see 200 miles would be wonderful. To focus on the road, to focus on nothing but what’s in front of you. That is the essence of my love of riding but even if I can’t, it is a memory and at the end of the day (or end of our days) that is something that can’t be taken away.
I’ll write more on this but for now, that’s enough.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry