Remain In Motion

Wind blowing through the hair and cooling the skin, all cares being whisked away on that same breeze. A picture of perfect bliss, pure happiness, blessed freedom. Sailing along smoothly and quickly, eyes focused toward the destination . . . AAAHHHHHH!!! Crash landings hurt.

It was a perfectly beautiful Saturday afternoon - not too hot by the standards I've come to measure heat here in Korea. Earlier in the year I had salvaged a poor lonely scooter from its impending demise as it leaned up against the courtyard wall, just waiting for the garbage trucks to come around that night and end its torture. I like to think that the scooter is eternally grateful for my random act of kindness . . . except scooters don't have feelings . . . yes, well, anyway . . . yes. 

It had been ages since I had ridden a scooter. It only took a couple of minutes for my muscles and limbs to adjust to the present roles I needed them to play. As I propelled myself along the sidewalk, I saw the glances, the out-of-the-corner-of-the-eye sneaky look, and the blatant stares. "Why is there a foreigner riding a scooter down this sidewalk in Korea?" I'm sure they were all thinking. But nothing could dampen my mood, nor my passion for riding this two-wheeled vehicle of delight. I was actually even becoming slightly impressed with my scootering skills, maneuvering around pedestrians and transitioning between sidewalk and road and back to sidewalk again like I'd been born on a scooter. I finally left the sidewalk and made it to the paved and vegetation-filled walkway that leads to the Han River.

My mind began to go its own way, as usual. I don't remember what I was thinking about (or not thinking about) but the next thing I knew was that the wheels of my scooter had come to a stop but I, unfortunately, had not. An object in motion remains in motion with the same speed and direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. The unbalanced force acting upon my scooter was a square slit in a rain gutter stretching from one side of the path to the other. The unbalanced force that soon acted upon my body was . . . the ground. Oh Newton, how cruelly correct and unforgiving your law is. 

I came to a skidding stop and lay there, slowly writhing and intermittently whimpering in the pain my knees and right hand were now experiencing. No one was around - or so I thought until I heard a worried woman's voice tremble out, "Jogiyo?" After she helped me up and I reassured her multiple times that I was fine and thanked her, she walked away with a bit of worry still occupying her face. I debated continuing on my way. I couldn't walk well because of my left knee, which the ground decided to beat up more than my right one. My hand was killing me (after a couple of weeks, it still gives me pain - hmmm, maybe not a good sign? lol). It looked like it might rain soon. So did I turn around? Pssshhh, yeah right. This was the first journey my scooter and I were sharing together. I wasn't going to let a few issues ruin that! The soreness actually wore off quickly (until I was sitting down that evening - then it hit me like a sledgehammer) and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of my wonderful and warm outing. A perfect way to spend a Sabbath afternoon.

Often in life, we happily sail along, feeling the breeze whip our hair out behind us and refresh us from the heat of the day. We roll along at a smooth pace, nothing seeming like it could wrong. But then, that rain gutter grabs at our wheels. That breakup, that bad score, those financial issues, that misunderstanding that ended a friendship, that wrong decision, that lost job - sends you falling to the ground, where you come to a skidding stop, not knowing if you can, or want to, get back up again and continue on your way. Will you be able to brave the pain? Can you carry on toward your destination? Do you really want to try?

Standing there motionless, you will feel the pain. Standing there motionless, you will continue to remain undecided. Standing there motionless will not get you anywhere. When you begin to move again is when you will slowly begin to forget about the deep ache you are feeling. When you begin to move again is when you will realize that you can keep moving toward your destination, despite the problem you just faced or are still facing. When you begin to move again is when you will remember why you enjoyed this ride of life, even if things may sometimes be difficult. Don't let the crash keep you from moving forward. Don't let your confidence and courage be dashed by the fall you have taken. Don't let the problems life throws at you sap you of your motivation and will to move ahead and render you motionless.

Remain in motion.