By Lisa Breen
Our ever-changing world speeds past at an alarming rate. Our insatiable appetite for instant gratification seems to grow with wild abandon. I can't help but wonder what we might be missing as our lives pass in a blur.
When was the last time we took the long way home? Whatever happened to the road less traveled? As a biker I can answer these questions, and I hope that you can also.
Search out these roads. I find myself riding through our rural landscape and away from the bustling city. I find folks sitting on benches outside the local diner, the town squares, or the barbershop. They seem to be patiently waiting for nothing and everything to happen. Neighbors stop rather than pass by, just to see how each other is doing.
Still, it amazes me after years of city dwelling at how the time seems to slow once I enter a small town.
The calm peacefulness of the back roads is so much more relaxing than the blur of the freeways; the slow ride allows me to observe the nature of the area as well as the people. I often ride until I find just such a town square where I can sit and chat on the porch of a local icehouse or country store or gas station. The people I meet are always more than willing to tell me the things that are not on my map. They will sagely advise me on the prettiest ride from here to there, the best fishing spot or an affordable place to lay my head. They never hesitate to say "while you're there turn off the main road for a bit and stop by this or see that…. you can’t miss it”… and you’ll be glad you did.
As I enjoy the beauty of the unobstructed panoramic view from my perch on this bike, I remember that it is about the experience of the trip, not the race against the clock to reach my destination. It's about the people that ride, as I do, to the unknown.
They wave to me on the back roads as they pass me going in the opposite direction, knowing that they have just seen what is about to unfold for me.
The road less traveled still exists. It might read "Farm Road" or "Ranch Road" or "Lake Drive" or "Coastal" or "Mountain Road". You have to slow down to see the turnoffs but they are there. It will take a little longer to get you where you're headed, if you even care where that is.