Saturday, April 6, 2019

Biker-Hiker


Biker-Hiker. That's my name and that's my game.

I am unusual in that I'm not one thing, I'm multiple things. Even when the combination is unexpected

In high school, I won an award for "Best Scholar-Athlete." It was easy for me to win this because I had no real competition despite a large class size of 800 students.

I was among a dozen academic high-achievers (I graduated 7th in my class) but none of the rest of them played sports. Not a single one. Among my sports-team friends, none of them cared about grades. So despite being only an average student and an average athlete, I literally had no competition for Scholar-Athlete award. In contrast, I could never have won Best Student or Best Athlete because I wasn't that great in either field. But, combined, I was King. How odd.

Speaking of combined identities, I don't need to tell you guys how I mix male and female gender identities. That's a major focus of this blog.

I just noticed something about my adulthood. I love motorcycles, including sporty fast ones. I love the outdoors where I hike and camp at every opportunity. I find it natural to combine those interests so today, a beautiful Spring day, I ventured out to explore a new place. I briskly rode my speedy S1000R and traveled to a nature park I'd never visited before, the Tackapausha Museum & Preserve in Seaford, New York.

In the 17th Century, Tackapausha was Chief of the Indian tribe in Massapequa. When settlers came and offered his tribe money to "buy" the land, the Indians thought the settlers merely wanted to use the land. They eagerly accepted the offer, assuming both groups would share the property in the future. The European settlers, however, had a different concept of ownership. They wanted full and exclusive rights -- which included kicking Indians off the land and banning their return. Disputes over this were later resolved by Colonial courts which, to no surprise, ruled for the settlers. The Indians were dispossessed and never recovered.

Back to the present. After riding to T's preserve, I hiked a few miles in the woods, listening to birds chirping. I then visited T's museum which has a variety of animals, including the handsome guys pictured here. This expedition shows that I'm a biker-hiker.

My question is -- why be only one thing when you can enjoy many interests? Don't you agree?























19 comments:

  1. You sound like a multipotentialite to me. Some of my favourite people. So interesting and interested! My son would swoon at your bike. He aspires to be a motorcyclist one day (he's 14 and researching already:-)
    xo Jazzy Jack

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    1. Never heard that word before. Thanks! Any time you son wants to talk about motorcycles, I'm here.

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  2. "Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than master of one."

    Someone can be really great at one thing, but balance is key. The weather is finally turning nice enough, i want to check out Radnor Lake now that I live closer.

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    1. I'm so well-rounded I have no edges. :-)

      I hope you get to enjoy Spring weather with little trips.

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  3. I was never good in school or as an athlete, but I started out as a motorcycle mechanic and ended up running the service department for seven years. lol

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    1. That position requires both mechanical ability and talent at managing people: two different, important skills.

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  4. Your varied hobbies make you a unique and interesting person. I appreciate that very much.

    I worry that rather than broadening my horizons as I age I'm narrowing them. I know of what I don't like and have stopped doing it. I'm also seeing that many things I used to enjoy I no longer do. I'm in a bit of a transitional phase I think. It's a bit unsettling.

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

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    1. Your situation is understandable. Avoiding things you've learned you dislike is not bad. And change is often rewarding when it leads to improvement. For example I didn't know about motorcycles until my late-30s. Adding new passions can happen at any age.

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  5. Nothing wrong with being multiple things and having multiple interests! I'm bowled over by those owls, and I've never been able to photograph bats! Those pictures are fantastic! xxx

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    1. Thanks. It helped that the owls were still and vain. The bats were hard to photograph because they were in the dark, I didn't want to use a flash and upset them, and I didn't have a tripod for very low shutter-speed.

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  6. The more complex - the more interesting. Intelligence certainly shines in each and every post you write . I also wear many hats. I enjoy having different facets of my personality and a wide range of friends with different interests.

    These photos you took are just stunning. I never get enough of mother nature. However in Manhattan such sights are hard to find. But the architecture and museums are beautiful — and then there is the people watching!
    Yes, America history...
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

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    1. Since people are also animals, watching them in NYC is like visiting a zoo. :)

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  7. "Woooo" wouldn't be as many things as possible? Why be limited or limit yourself? We are all mulit-faceted, like diamonds.

    Hugs to you, my dear.

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  8. Those complexities and combinations make us who we are, Ralph. They're unique and beautiful, aren't they? And they're always changing, even the slightest little bit, as we grow into them.

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  9. I totally agree- we shouldn't limit ourselves! Love that you have embraced this about yourself and you run with it!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  10. Yes, why should we be limited, when I believe we were created to be limitless.

    Its always great to pass by your blog sweet Ally. I blog sporadically but post a lot on instagram - come say Hi.

    Hugz sweet friend.


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    1. Hi Wendy. I'll visit you on IG but I seldom go there because I don't have a smartphone.

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