Nothing New Under the Sun

I love to read and I love to ride, so it is no suprise that I love to read about riding. One of my favorite genres is the journey narrative, particularly if the story is about motorcycle travel that predates 1940.

You see, we human beings have a tendency to imagine that the universe revolves not around the sun, but us as individuals. We imagine that our personal experiences - both positive and negative - are the biggest or the best or the worst or the first or the greatest or the latest. We forget (or ignore) that, as the Preacher said some 2300 years ago, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again, there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

As much as I enjoy reading contemporary journey narratives, a constant irritation for me is that the authors rarely, if ever, acknowledge that someone has gone before them. Each author seems to imagine that THEIR journey of discovery is something revolutionary and radical ... and perhaps it is to them, but not to the cosmos. I would just like to see a little humilty and perspective.

For example I recently read a book about a woman who traveled by motorcycle across North America. The story was filled with insight and elegant prose, but I wearied of the constant "It's hard to be a woman on the road" refrain. While that is no doubt true to a degree, it is a heck of a lot easier to be a woman on the road in 2010 than in 1910.

You think it's tough riding across the USA wearing leathers, try wearing "a close fitting cap, sailor blouse with green coat and regular riding breeches with leather leggings" like Margaret Karslake in 1916 ... who advised how much more comfortable this outfit was than the normal long skirt!

You think Blue Highways are a pain ? How about 1400 miles of mud and macadam between New York and Toledo, ridden by Katherine Kelly in 1911!

You think it is hard to find gas in western Montana ? Try riding with the van Buren sisters (pictured) in 1916 Mexico! And on and on it goes ...

One of the privileges of thirty years of ministry has been to listen to the stories of people whose working lives ended about the time mine started. I never cease to be amazed at - SURPRISE! -how adventuresome many were in their youth, and how they did dumb and delightful youthful things just like me. My own mother for example shared some of the stories of her life during Prohibition ... OMG!!! There are just some things a boy should not know about his momma ...

We need to put some perspective in our lives. As complicated or joyful as a single moment may be, it is only one of bazillions of moments in eternity. Each moment and experience of an individual life is important and has value, but we are living in a time when it seems that too many folks think every moment of their lives deserves applause. Like I really care what somebody had for breakfast this morning!

In America we place great emphasis on individual worth and self-esteem. Frankly I think we would be better off toning it down a bit and placing more emphasis on the commonweal, what one might call the One Body. As great as any individual or single experience might be, chances are that somebody has done it before, which does not take away from its importance but only keeps it in perspective. You see, there is nothing new under the Sun ...