A series of singular events

23 September 2010 – The last question I have been contemplating is “what’s next?” To be honest this issue is on my mind a lot. I could make this entry short by stating, “No decision yet” and leaving it there. Despite no clear image of what to do next, there are a variety of related issues to cover. The choice has to feel right – the Tour of Water Balloons always felt so – it’s the country’s loss that no water balloon tossing ever spontaneously arose. At lunch the other day, Geoff offered the idea of an annual ride with more emphasis on getting the word out, and giving the country another chance. I have thought about this, but can’t say that it’s going to happen with me as the prime mover. With just one long distance backpacking trip (across Oregon with my brother Rick), one wandering trip around the country in a converted school bus (with another couple from Connecticut south, then through the Midwest, and eventually ending up in Florida), and one Tour of Water Balloons, my history does not suggest of encourage a repeat performance. I am left with two thoughts. First, these previous events each had a spontaneous component to them (either the initial thought or commitment), followed much later by the serious planning. No such spontaneity is self evident at this point. Second, while thinking about thinking about what to do next, I was struck by how segmented my life can be, and how some segments are more conducive to thinking (about anything) than others. I can’t think about anything if the TV is on. Either I am watching “news” which is highly segmented and attention demanding programming, or I am watching a movie – the good ones engaging both my thoughts and my emotions and the bad ones putting me promptly to sleep. If I am on my 10-mile ride in the morning, I can think for about 35 of the 55 minutes (the first ten minutes, and a minute here and there are too hazardous). For me the best time for thinking is the half or whole hour I put aside to smoke a cigar outside in the evening. This is what I did tonight, but nothing came of it. So right now here I sit. I do know I am going to keep this blog going, but I will probably turn my attention away from cycling and water balloons to those other topics that interest me, all of which might be put in the single bag labeled “Things to consider to improve our country” although I smell and hear a bit of pretention in those words. Read on or don’t read on, or as I like to say, “Do what you want, you will anyway.”

Thought for the day: Foolish hobgoblins are the constancy of little minds.