He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence

You can't just read about it in a book. One of the things I know to be true but don't always put into practice enough is that you can't just read about things in books to truly know them. You have to do it too. When I was in my teens I wanted a motorcycle. (I've since had three motorcycles but haven't ridden for a good while). I used to buy motorcycle magazines, I watched TV programmes about them. I was obsessed.

My Dad had a Vespa which he bought with his brothers when they were young. They ripped it around a field until my Uncle crashed into a wall and flew headfirst over it. Luckily, or so I was told, he was uninjured. I've never heard this story from either of my Uncles. I also don't know whether this was the first hour they had the scooter, the first day or when. Unfortunately, when their father (my grandfather, never met him) found out they were made "get rid of it" straight away. Probably at a loss from what they bought it for.

This was an enduring memory for my Dad, he told me this story multiple times as I grew up. So when I started to become obsessed with bikes every effort was made to prevent me from getting one. My Dad bought me coffee table books of classic Harley's. There, that's all you need, admire bikes in a book. Not a bike. A book. The problem is, that's not motorcycling. You can't crash a book into the side of a Ford Transit. You can't adjust the idle on the front cover so the book unintentionally does a wheelie when you take off. The wind doesn't rush through you as you turn a page. Fork oil doesn't leak from it. You can't foul a plug when starting a book. Replacing, restoring and servicing a book aren't the same.

You have to do something to experience it. You can learn the theory from a book but you must do it to actually learn in practice. Sometimes it's a close call with a corner because of target fixation. Sometimes it's a limp and a sore knee because you pulled the front brake on gravel instead of gently pressing your foot on the rear brake pedal. But you sure go tentatively on that gravel the next time, that's for sure.

Don't get me wrong, books are incredible and amazing. I love reading. They can impart knowledge and bring you to places in your mind that are not possible in reality. But in the real world you have to get on the bike and go. You have to actually do the thing to do the thing.

Hat tip to William Blake for the badass quote.