Ghost Rider

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Kronx

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So I've been reading Ghost Rider by Neal Peart... if you're not familiar with him, he's the beast of a drummer and great lyricist from the band Rush. He's written a few books, but the book Ghost Rider follows a pretty tragic period of his life and his motorcycle trek of thousands and thousands of miles across North America.

His 19 year old daughter was killed in a car crash on her way to college. As one could imagine it was a devastation to him and his wife. His wife especially. Within a year of their daughter's death his wife died of cancer.

I mention this to put the first bit of the quote below in context. I'm a father of two kids(16 yr old boy, 13 yr old girl) and I know many of you are parents as well. No doubt you'll get the quote below. I felt it really sort of summed up my addiction to riding these days.

Anyway here's a really interesting quote from the book Ghost Rider:

"Earlier that summer, contemplating the wreckage of my life, I had determined that my mission was to protect a certain essence inside me, a sputtering life force, a meager spirit, as though I had my cupped hands around a guttering candle. In letters I had begun calling that remnant spark "my little baby soul," and the task before me now, I decided, was to nurture that spirit as well as I could.

My little baby soul was not a happy infant, of course, with much to complain about, but as every parent learns, a restless baby often calms down if you take it for a ride. I had learned my squalling spirit could be soothed the same way, by motion, and so I had decided to set off on this journey into the unknown. Take my little baby soul for a ride."
 
You know....i can understand that. I was 16 when my Dad was murdered. I would pass that time away at night....just driving....somewhere.....anywhere.

Thank you for posting.
 
Sorry, I couldn't resist.....I loved the first movie, but the second one really sucked, even with the V-Max as the star bike...

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Ha! I've never seen the Ghost Rider movies. I have to be in a certain mood in order to tolerate Nick Cage.
 
My wife says she gets it. But I truly do not think she does. Its about the journey not the destination. Whether on a bike or through out your life.

Todd
 
You know....i can understand that. I was 16 when my Dad was murdered. I would pass that time away at night....just driving....somewhere.....anywhere.

Thank you for posting.

Wow, That Sucks.
I'm glad your Driving Therapy worked.
And I just have to say, I know you turned out just fine in the long run.

I can't even begin to express my appreciation for your help with spare parts for my downed Max.
Believe me, there aren't many people in the world that are as generous as you are.
I have no doubt that your father would be proud of you.

Hopefully one day we'll actually get to meet and take a ride together.
 
Rush was one of my favorite bands growing up.
Never knew that Neal wrote books, going to have to pick up a copy and read it...
 
I've been a very heavily Rush influenced drummer for 30+ yrs. didn't know he wrote that book though. I'm definetly gonna read that. I will totally agree with his idea, movement makes for change and the more change you make and distance you travel, the more you become one with yourself. Like they say "you'll NEVER see a motorcycle outside of a psychiatrists office" I've looked, they're right.
 
Wow, That Sucks.
I'm glad your Driving Therapy worked.
And I just have to say, I know you turned out just fine in the long run.

I can't even begin to express my appreciation for your help with spare parts for my downed Max.
Believe me, there aren't many people in the world that are as generous as you are.
I have no doubt that your father would be proud of you.

Hopefully one day we'll actually get to meet and take a ride together.

I look forward to that my friend.

Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk 2
 
I get it too. I won't share the details of my life but the soul is easily extinguished in all but the very strong. Thing is, none of us knows how strong we are until we are tested.
 
Rush was one of my favorite bands growing up.
Never knew that Neal wrote books, going to have to pick up a copy and read it...

Same here, Bill. I always loved Rush's music growing up. Found out about Neil's books only a couple years ago. This the second book I've read by him. The first (out of chronological order) was Roadshow.

I have tickets for Lotus Land (Rush tribute band) for this Sat night at Patriots Place. Going early to check out the Patriots Hall of Fame, do dinner then the concert. Should be a good day..............
 
I lost both my parents when I was 12 so I understand the quote as well and my protection was to keep my center to myself. It's been a long road and I love driving/ riding as it's time for yourself, time to relax. I understand the quote inasmuch that time on the road, the movement of pavement underneath you is just what you need to center yourself. Neil's book sounds like a interesting read, as I too have been a big Rush fan since a teenager.
 
When I was in the 4th grade, in military school, I got chosen one day to play snare drum to keep cadence as we marched everywhere. All I had to do was 1...1...1,2,3. Left...left...left, right, left.

I enjoyed it. So I kept drumming. Then I would start getting fancy with fills while keeping cadence. I'd get smiles and thumbs up from other cadets because now we were marching to some funk haha. And then a kid said "Hey, since you like playing drums, listen to this." And he put his Sony Walkman headphones on my head, and played YYZ from the live album Exit Stage Left...it had a drum solo in it. I was floored. And I was a die hard Rush fan from that point on. I played drums most of my life, but never was very good. But I still love it. And I still love hearing a badass drummer. I've seen Rush several times live and I'm always in awe of the musicianship from all of them.

I quoted that text from the book because I feel like my soul is that guttering candle these days.... it's trying to die out... and the only peace I have is when I'm my VMax.

In the book he covers A LOT of miles. And I remember thinking to myself, "He should make more stops... see the places he's driving through and talk to people." But the past few days I've even come to understand why he just wants to keep moving. I completely get it now.
 

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