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Sunday, February 6, 2011

Art and the School of Motorcycle Blending

First you get a really big blender …


Zen and the Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceImage via Wikipedia
Related source » Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
[This related source is recommended in its entirety.]
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (ZAMM) is a 1974 philosophical novel, the first of Robert M. Pirsig's texts in which he explores his Metaphysics of Quality. […] The title is an incongruous play on the title of the book Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel. In its introduction, Pirsig explains that, despite its title, 'it should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It's not very factual on motorcycles, either'.”
— From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What, you might be asking, does this have to do with the price of tea in Italy? There is no correlation, nor is this an inquiry into family (or any other flavor of) values. It has everything to do with practice, however.

There is a common conceit among those of an Athenian persuasion — who think their genius springs fully-armed from their exceptionalness, and think their shit don't stink. Alas, such genius is as rare as a Michaelangelo, a Shakespeare, or a Mozart. Wannabes, however, need practice. A lot.

Call me crazy, but I wannabe a competent writer. And, since I believe the birth of Athena is a mythological myth (as opposed to a real true-story, such as Moses parting the Red Sea), I need lots of practice. This is one reason I chose blogging as my major avocation in retirement.

I strive to produce a reasonable post on a daily basis, but sometimes my muse abandons the premises, as has been the case for the past few days. It's frustrating, but the really annoying thing is that she (I assume my muse is female, for if you begin with a male and take away reason and accountability ...) never gives me notice of her impending departure. But I digress ...

Anyway, I sometimes resort to seizing an incongruent opposition of terms or concepts while letting my mind wonder. (Whom am I kidding. My mind doesn't require my permission to wonder). So, on this occasion, I challenged myself to write a post whose title would contain the bizarreness of "blending motorcycles".

It could happen.

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