The Covid virus continues to take a horrendous toll on lives and livelihoods, so our sympathies go out to those who have had personal and financial losses. In the midst of this, it is human nature to cling to the few bits of normalcy that are possible, and to find renewed therapy in our areas of passion. For me, the garage is one such therapeutic place. It has a seemingly endless number of things that need to get done. The reassembly of the R26, the pushrod tubes on the Toaster, tidying up the wiring in the R60 headlight bucket, etc. In the Pre-Covid time, I had to (a) have time, and (b) be in the mood to tackle those jobs. They got delayed and procrastination ruled. Suddenly, in the midst of a global pandemic, time is not the issue. Neither is motivation. It feels good to tackle things that you can address and put right, in contrast to just about everything else. There is a problem you can see, a plan to address it, some work to execute the plan, a few parts, and voila, you have a successfully implemented solution. Even the steps along the way are enjoyable. Disassembly, cleaning, gasket replacement, etc. Each one is its own tiny problem/plan/work/solution cycle.
It also helps that this is time spent in a positive direction toward an outcome that directly benefits you. You can get back to riding that bike, or having it function as originally intended, or complete the rescue of something destined for the scrap heap. Returning an old BMW back to running and riding condition produces good karma. It produces smiles and waves from people on the road, and appreciative comments from strangers (even if uttered through a mask). Riding solo out on the backroads is a slice of normal in a sea of abnormal. It summons the endorphins and quells anxieties.
But wait, there’s more….In rifling through tubs of parts, I discovered some parts purchased long ago to perform worthy tasks which had somehow fallen off the todo list. Some rubber for the bottom of the battery tray, a new footpeg rubber. The todo list was suddenly shorter by one, but longer by two. It is one of the few times in life when this was actually a welcome development. Oh well, more time in the garage. Rinse, repeat.
Strange times indeed. I’m told that both local BMW shops have never been busier, so there must be plenty of other folks out there who are catching up on long overdue projects. I think I fall into that category as well.