Sunday, March 15, 2009

Full meal deal in a fast food world?

Yesterday I rode to Portland to conduct an instructor training exercise. It poured all day. I may dry out by Wednesday. More on that later. Maybe. Right now I'm interrupting the regularly scheduled programming for some self reflection. I'm going to focus on the Musings part of the blog title. Just to show I'm still an outlaw at heart, there's not going to be any photos, either.

A couple of things happened in quick succession. Here's a quote from a comment on my last post. To those who commented, by the way, I'm sorry I haven't replied. Life's been hectic the last few days. Anyway, on to the quote.

"This is an absolutely fantastic view behind the scenes. Although a bit long and windy..I did enjoy the article ."

This isn't the first time I've been accused of this. Gary C. of Rush Hour Rambling fame, said something similar. Of course, he had to resort to pretending to be Yoda when he said it! There's a lot more blogs out there than when Gary, Steve, and I started. Maybe people need shorter posts so they can keep up with all their reading. Maybe not everyone's attention span is what it used to be.

Recently, I gained a dubious distinction. According to Jay Green, the author of Road Captain Usa, I am now in a three way tie for the longest post. You can see his comment here. Jay suggests that those of us providing riding tips should cut our posts down to bite size bits. His comment is directed at Ruben Torres but I feel the innuendo.

I have to admit that Jay brings up a good point. Even if he is a Harley guy! For those of you who just found your leather fringes in a knot, relax. It's a joke! Although it might be just as fun to be flamed on a Harley forum as it was to be flamed on a scooter forum. I've always considered myself to be an equal opportunity offender, after all.

Anyway, I guess it's good to remember that some people like seven course dinners while others prefer a snack.

I'm going to think it all over for a bit. I guess when it comes to writing I feel like a chef. There's so much to share. As a motorcyclist I find the journey much more fun than the actual destination. It's a desirable trait in other areas, too. ( blush ) Maybe I'll have to mix it up a little. It's my blog and I can do what I want, but it should also serve to add some value to others. What will work best for the folks who take their time to read here?

Perhaps a blog isn't the proper venue for me anymore. I like to think I'd be a pretty decent writer with a little more effort. Katie says I should write a book. Remember James Herriot? He's the Yorkshire veterinarian who wrote "All Things Bright and Beautiful", "All Creatures Great and Small", and "All Things Wise and Wonderful".

Katie says I have enough stories from teaching that I should do something similar. I've been likened here to John Wayne and Brett Favre. I believe it was Gail who called me the Robert B. Parker of motorcycling. He's an author who's pretty descriptive in his writing. Along the lines of Raymond Chandler. Maybe it's time to become the James Herriot of the motorcycle training world.

There's always room in the market place for a well written book on riding skills, too. Who better to share riding wisdom spiced by my abundant sense of humor?

Tuesday will be the soonest I post again. The rest of today and tomorrow are booked pretty solidly.
I have to keep moving so I don't rust. In the meantime, I'll be planning the menu. Full meal deal or fast food?

Miles and smiles,

Dan

21 comments:

Bryce said...

Bottom line, it is your blog, write the way you feel most comfortable.

Blogs are not contests, rather they are an online diary, and if you feel like writing this way or that just do it.

I enjoy your writings!

redlegsrides said...

Dan, like Bryce said...write to satisfy yourself....

Unknown said...

It's your party, cry if you want to. Whoops! Wrong song! ;)

Keep rolling your way. Critics are just that, and should be taken with a grain of salt. Besides, not all of us have short attention spans.

Your insight into how and why we ride is appreciated.

Dave T.

Stacy said...

This post inspired me to write a poem. Here it is:

A Poem For Gnats

The short attention crowd likes their bikes shiny and loud.

Anonymous said...

I had the good fortune this weekend to introduce my 12 year old daughter to Mr Herriot, and hope she takes to his charming writing style and wit as well as i did :)

As to a similar book on biking .. what's taking you so long?

peace

Learning to Golf said...

ATGATT, look where you want to go, practice, practice, practice. Short, sweet, and to the point.

For experienced riders that may be enough to jog the memory and remind us to pay attention. But, your blog Dan is more knowledgeable than that and you truly understand rider training needs to capture a persons attention.

Me? I'll have the full course. Value meals are designed to make you feel good, but what did you really get?

cpa3485 said...

If this were some sort of forum, I'd say short and sweet is better. But a blog is not that sort of animal. Sometimes it takes awhile to fully explain things.

I don't come here for short and sweet stuff. I like to see what is in your head and If it takes you awhile to get there, I personally don't mind it a bit.

Carry on!!

Balisada said...

I didn't know that there was a limit on the length of the blog posting.

I am perfectly happy reading a long post.


Balisada

Lady R (Di) said...

Hmmmm. Full course meal or fast food snack?

I'll take both!

I enjoy reading your blog, in it's entirety. I agree with cpa3485... we come here to see what's in your head. If I need to take a break, I do and then come back later or the next day. (That's the nice part of not being tied to the chair!)

Don't worry about what others feel you should do with your blog. It's yours! Stay in your zone, Irondad!

Otto Cilindri said...

If it gets a little long I can always go to Pirate Monkey Cult for a break.

http://piratemonkeycult.wordpress.com/

Unknown said...

We love you the way you are . . . and whatever way you want to serve us. Just as long as you keep us fed.
Imagine a hot summer day, you grab a milkshake, take a BIG gulp, then there's NO more . . .

bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin

fasthair said...

Mr. IronDad: Write all you want buddy. Hey it's your blog to do with as you see fit. If it takes three pages to get your point across then by all means make it three pages. I would much rather read a long post with quality verse a short post with just fluff.

I will still read as much or as little as you post.

fasthair

John McClane said...

Yes!

No, wait, I just forgot.

I've got a short attention span. Or, possibly, Alzheimer's.

I never rated Herriot, even though he worked about 50 miles from my base in the UK. But I did quite fancy Carol Drinkwater (Herriot's wife in the TV series).

She later moved out to southern France and wrote a few books about her life there. Including a trip to Syria.

Your blog is good, your book might be better. Or worse.

Allen Madding said...

smaller posts for smaller minds, more extensive posts for those who can read more than 4 pages of a book in one sitting perhaps?

I have found there are self proclaimed critics at every turn in life. If they don't like the length of your posts perhaps they have long post envy? In any event, if they don't like it, Mr. Gore created a very large internet so they can keep moving until they find the shallow end of the pool that they are seeking. It probably has that silly looking mushroom with the water running off of it and they're mothers are standing at the sides with clean pullups and juiceboxes waiting for them.

Write on my friend.

-Peace

-Tim said...

eh..keep 'em long...if they were short they would seem unfinished.
Maybe talk to your local paper...get a paying gig writing op/ed pieces...I did it for a while...it's fun

American Scooterist Blog said...

Write for you. Stop worrying about what other people think and do what you do so well. (Blazing Saddles mayhem and all that ;) )

When I come here I get something out of this every time. If you shortened it up I might still get something out of this but it might not be the same. It would start to lose your signature in a way.

We all write for us to begin with. What gets put on our blogs is the result of what we're satisfied with. Not everyone is going to like it but you know something? In order for those people to have an opinion they must be reading.

Harv

Dru_ said...

Don't look at me, I cannot help you. I couldn't post short and sweet if my life depended upon it :-)

Young Dai said...

Have you read the book by James Heriot's embittered younger brother : " All Creatures Grunt and Smell" ..

I'll get my coat, cheque please !

But seriously, if a chain of thought kicks off in a chat room that easily can run to many, many pages and postings. Sometimes big ideas need a big room to play in.

Mr Mclane were you near Fylingdales and the NATO Golf Balls ? I agree about Carol Drinkwater though

Jack Riepe said...

Dear IronDad:

The rule is to write until you have communicated your point. Sometimes that can be done with a few words and sometimes not. There are those who believe communication occurs when you tell someone something. But real communication occurs when another individual understands your point, and reacts to it.

Public relations occurs when readers feell and do what you want them to.

By the way, I wrote a book and made money at it. It's like giving birth to South Dakota. Do your critics make you feel bad by complaining your blog is too long? Wait until they claim your book is too long.

A woman I know once whine that my writing got tedious. "When," I asked.

"About 30 words after the title," she replied.

'Keep it up, Mom," I warned. "You won't be so glib when I drop you off at the home for old dintys."

Fondest regards,
Jack Riepe
Twisted Roads

Conchscooter said...

Jack Riepe plays the drunk fool but he is very smart. Just communicate. I could make an inapproproate comparison more worthy of Riepe than Irondad about size but we shall passa a veil over that lest I get too wordy.

Jay Green said...

Dan, you write long posts as do my friends Dave and Ruben. That is not a bad thing. Please keep writing whichever way makes you happy and please keep dropping by once in awhile to say hello over at RC USA. You are always welcome.