Hauser at the Neuschwanstein Castle

50th Anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

An Inquiry Into Brilliance: One Last Ride With Robert Pirsig

In the introduction to the 25th anniversary edition of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig makes some profound observations. He talks about a university class he took in the /50's about Henry James' The Turn of the Screw. 

The professor talked about how a second completely different interpretation was also plausible. Robert said he had to reread the book to see it. He explains how things can be hidden from the reader if the book is written in the First Person narrative. The first person only tells you what they want you to see.

He states that in the book Turn of the Screw, the reader does not see that the governess is the villain not the hero because what the governess sees is all the reader ever sees. It's very interesting. Then he relates it to his story about Phaedrus which I obviously haven't read. It also relates to our present political climate of misdirection. History is written by the victors.

Pirsig mentions the Hollywood ending in his book and states "In the intended ending it is not the narrator who Triumphs over a villainous Phaedrus. It is an honorable Phaedrus who triumphs over the narrator who has been maligning him all the time." 

"In Phaedrus's view the narrator is a sellout, a coward, who has abandoned truth for popularity and social acceptance. He sees that the narrator doesn't want to be honest any more, just an accepted member of the community, bowing and accommodating his way through the rest of the years."

"Phaedrus was dominated by intellectual values. He didn't give a damn who liked or didn't like him. He was single mindedly pursuing a truth he felt was of staggering importance to the world. The world had no idea of what he was trying to do and it was trying to kill him for his trouble. For more on the real Phaedrus, who is  not a villainous ghost but rather a mild mannered hyper intellectual let me recommend Lila, a sequel that has been properly understood by a few."

Wow, Robert Pirsig wrote a sequel called Lila which examines life's essential issues as he recounts the journey down the Hudson River in a sailboat of his philosopher-narrator Phaedrus. Awesome. I just ordered it. Zen and the Art was written in 1974. That was over 50 years ago. Lila was written in 1991.

My kids are trying to teach me how to use Chat GPT. AI can be a useful tool to learn languages but it does frighten me.  

Christmas Music

I used to know someone who lived for Christmas and played Christmas music all year long. For many years I couldn't listen to Christmas music. When it would come on in the grocery store I would cringe. It was like nails on the chalkboard for me. 

There were some I liked. I enjoyed TSO and I liked I hear the bells on Christmas Day. Yet there was a very long time when I just couldn't listen to the old familiar carols they play. I like the instrumental. That's not so offensive. It's more soothing. I enjoy classical music and the symphony. 

In Colombia they celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day they dance salsa for three days. That's not really my thing but that it their wholesome tradition that makes Christmas real for them. Just like shrimp on the barbie at the beach in Australia. The intent of Christmas is peace on earth, good will to men and it's easy to lose that in the confusion that surrounds Christmas. Aspire to something higher. Do good, be better. There's nothing wrong with that. 

I guess the reason I've been going on and on about Christmas this year is because when they try and take something away from you, you become very protective of it. 

It's like when England started persecuting the Catholic church in Ireland. What do you mean I can't go to mass? Yes I can. If England had just left them alone the church would have faded out of relevance but as soon as they banned it, that created a knee jerk reaction to defend it. 

All the sexual assault cases were great and abominable but that can happen anywhere. Even with hockey coaches. We need to be vigilant in protecting children from abuse. 

Kash Patel's hypocrisy is astounding. Right after he censored and buried the Epstein files for Donnie, he announced charges against a new pedophile. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail with peace on earth, good-will to men. Despite the defiant abominations of Donald Trump and Netanyahu.

Christmas Reflections 2025

 

Something feels a bit off this Christmas and it's not what you think. I remember when my daughter was very young she casually mentioned how she could relate to the Green Day song Boulevard of broken Dreams and it broke my heart. 

Sometimes life doesn't work out the way we had hoped and not until time passes can we see that it was for the best. I'm not talking about death. That's always going to leave an emptiness. 

The majority of my family have passed away and that makes Christmas very different. So we do our best to try and carry on those traditions. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail but we always try. We always do our best.

My daughter commented on an ap that tracks your screen time and she was shocked how many hours a day she spent scrolling on her phone so she started to read books like she used to. That's a good use of free time. 

So I bought two new books. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and a 501 French Verbs dictionary. I want to start sharpening up my French vocab. My kids speak so many languages, I need to improve. I admire their gift. 

I always talk about the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and how it had such a profound influence on my life yet to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if I've ever read it. Certainly not cover to cover. I usually take selected pieces and find my own hidden meaning. So this year I'm going to reread that book and reflect on what it means to me now. 

I often quote the title page because I find that most significant. Yet in the introduction to the 25th Anniversary of the book I find a sincere reflection. He said instead of basking in the huge success of the book which would defeat it's purpose, he wanted to write about the book's failures and try to correct them. 

As we reflect on our successes and failures in life perhaps that kind of brutal honesty will lead us to where we really wanted to go all along. He mentions the Hollywood ending of the original book and how that wasn't the original intent. 

Then he adds a Zen twist and I'm like well done. As a parent all you want in life is for your kids to be happy. Setbacks occur and the road changes directions yet we do our best to keep moving forward. One time in my life I adopted the saying no turning back because it was appropriate at that time. 

In Anna Nalick's song Breathe (2 AM) she states "you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable And life's like an hourglass glued to the table No one can find the rewind button, girl So cradle your head in your hands And breathe, just breathe."

"There's a light at each end of this tunnel you shout Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out And these mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again If you only try turning around" so breathe and move forward. That's how we grow. 

We shouldn't dwell on our mistakes lest we repeat them but we should recognize them so we can make course corrections in our future journey. The key is to make the course correction and forgive yourself so our mistakes don't hold us back like sandbags on a hot air balloon. Turn the helm and lift anchor.

Christmas Epiphany 2025

I don't really have a Christmas Epiphany this year but then again, of course I do. I know a lot of people out there are scared. A lot of people are discouraged and pessimistic. Some are even considering MAIDS. The cost of housing is frightening.

I'm forced to recall the Charles Dickens poem about the best of times and the worst of times and remember tough times don't last, tough people do. God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.  

I always try to look at the bright side of life. Walk in the light so to speak. My parents sent me a poster on my mission of a workhorse pulling a cart in a blizzard. The caption read when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Indeed they do. 

Gentlemen may cry peace peace but the war has already begun. So let's talk about the war of words that seeks to lead men astray into slavery and captivity and let's talk about that guiding light that leads men out of darkness and captivity into the light and freedom we were created to enjoy. 

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ. Christ experienced sorrow. He was born in a stable. Isaiah 53 states "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

Psalms 118:3 states "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." The chief cornerstone which lays the foundation for not only the church but for our lives. The wise man built his house upon the rock. 

The rock of our redeemer. That "when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." All men can fall but if we build our lives on a solid foundation the Devil's shafts in the whirlwind will not have power over us to drag us down to the Gulf of misery. 

So if we see the big picture like Elijah did, we will realize that they that be with us are more than they that be with them. There's more good people out there than bad and I don't care what religion you belong to if any. 

As the title page to the book Zen and the Art of motorcycle Maintenance declares, "And what is good, Phaedrus, And what is not good. Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?” No we do not. We all know. So let's be honest with ourselves and each other. Let's use our discernment in the sea of lies to see where we want to go then head in that direction. Peace. 

TPUSA is the wrong direction. Ben Shapiro is a bad man.

Grizzly bear visits Lake Louise ski run

CTV is reporting that "Skiers at Lake Louise got a reminder recently that not every bear hibernates all winter long. Parks Canada says on Saturday, Grizzly Bear 136—also known as “Split Lip”—walked from the parking lot up to the Juniper runs area. The Lake Louise Ski Club was hosting its annual Santa Slalom races at the time. The races halted." I guess.

Snow Lodge in Flin Flon, Manitoba

CTV is reporting that "A large lodge constructed entirely of snow and ice is being built in Flin Flon, with the hope of supporting winter tourism in the region. Construction of the lodge—a 56-foot-long arc with ice walls—began approximately two weeks ago inside a Flin Flon campground. It is expected to open early in the new year."

Great idea. They have lots of these at the Carnival du Quebec. Lake Louse has an ice carving festival in January. 

Aaron Gunn remains focused on the future: J'imagine

Christmas Home Stretch

 

Well, we're almost there. People are frantically racing around picking up last minute items for dinner with their family. As I mentioned before, normally I just try to make it through Christmas as I look forward to the New Year and a new start.

This year both my kids are home for Christmas for the first time in many years so it's a bit more meaningful. On the radio they keep stressing mental health as the holiday season can be very anxious for people who experience added loneliness or anxiety this time of year. You can see the stress everywhere you go.

I was at the grocery store last night and it was full of people from all different ethnicities quietly about their business while one white crackhead was being very loud and irritating.  

She wasn't being malicious. She was just very loud as she spoke with her two male associates shopping for food. It was like the first time she was in a grocery store. Yet you could see she was excited about being able to celebrate Christmas with a few friends as she reflected on former Christmas traditions. 

It reminded me that for people who are alone or who have lost loved ones this season can be very dark amidst all the lights and music. On the radio a mental health nurse suggested community service and said hang in there, you matter.

That's kind of why I always look to the New Year. Not for a drunken party of idiots but for a new start on new goals. The Carnival du Quebec looks awesome. Try something new.

I like that Olympic theme song J'Imagine I Believe because of the positive twist the French translation adds to it. J'imagine is not the literal translation of I believe, je crois is. 

Yet throughout the song the English girl says I believe while the French girl echoes her and says j'imagine. J'imagine means I can see it, visualize it or imagine it. It's kind of like how hope is a precursor to faith. Hope is referred to as the anchor to the soul. 

I remember a single mother from Belfast who struggled with agoraphobia mention how throughout her struggles hope was something no one could take away from her. Even when she had lost faith, she never lost hope. She always had hope that things would improve. Kind of like j'imagine.

Maybe I don't believe it's possible but I hope it is. I can see it. I can visualize it. I can imagine it. As long as I can imagine it I still have hope. Just a thought for those who struggle at this time of year. For everyone else, slow down. Feel the peace. 

I went pretty simple this year. Big on food, small on gifts. That's kind of the new economic reality we face now. Maybe it's for the best. Simplicity is good. Gluttony is not. Especially when so many people are suffering. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God in the face of those who suffer.

Mudslide on Stanley Park Seawall in Vancouver

CBC is reporting that "A section of the Stanley Park Seawall has been closed after a mudslide Sunday. Vancouver's parks operations department said significant rainfall caused a "small slide of mud, rocks and vegetation," which blocked access between Prospect Point and Slhx̱í7elsh (Siwash) Rock."