To arrive in the Rocky Mountains by plane would be to see them in one kind of context, as pretty scenery. But to arrive after days of hard travel across the prairies would be to see them in another way, as a goal, a promised land. – Robert Pirsig
One of my sons returned from New York last week and before he left, he was aghast when I told him that we still had 18 inches of snow cover here in Northfield, and at least a foot in the Twin Cities. I laughed at his misery and then I remembered this passage from Pirsig’s book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, one of my all-time favorites.
I told him that it’s much better to be here for the entire end of winter, with all its miserable crusty snow, mud, slop, and late-season snowstorms and cold fronts (it was -15 windchill this morning). Spring, as it finally arrives, then becomes so sweet. If you’ve been in Florida or someplace warm the whole time, it’s nothing special. The seasonal contrasts here in Minnesota are something I increasingly appreciate, and I’d love it if my kids felt the same.
He couldn’t imagine what the hell was wrong with my geezer brain, so I told him he’d have to read Pirsig’s book. He said he’s not all that interested in motorcycles, but when I told him that it really was a philosophy book, he expressed interest. I was surprised to find the entire text of the book on the BMW club web site. I was also surprised that the value of my first-edition, hard cover copy is over $400 now.
This book seemed to have a big impact on me, now that I think about it. Maybe now’s a good time to re-read it and try to understand why. It should be a good source of quotes for Joe to Go, too.