Life Dominated by Smartphones

Ron 0:07

Ever feel like your smartphone is dominating your life ? Do you take it everywhere , including on motorcycle rides , including attached to your handlebar , so that you'll see every little pop-up that happens constantly in front of you ? Yeah , me too sometimes , but today we're talking about something that's become a pretty big part of our lives yeah , those phones but something that , frankly , I think can get in the way of the very best parts of your ride . Today , we'll delve into the unexpected feeling of freedom and even sharpened senses that maybe we can reclaim when we ride phone-free . Stay tuned . Recorded in beautiful Loveland , colorado . Welcome to Peace . Love Moto , the podcast for motorcyclists seeking that peaceful , easy feeling as we cruise through this life together . Are you ready ? Let's go .

Ron 1:24

We live in an age where we are connected all the time . These little devices in our pockets . They're incredible , aren't they ? But they put the whole world at your fingertips , which isn't always a good thing . And now , with AI apps , you can know anything about anything from anywhere . Wonderful , isn't it ? Well , I don't know . I don't know .

Remembering Life Before Cellphones

Ron 1:55

It wasn't always like this . You know , it was only until about 2010 that it became somewhat common to even have a cell phone . It doesn't seem like that long ago to me that I used to carry a pager . If someone needed to get in touch with me . They would send me a page and it had the telephone number of a number I needed to call . So I would search for a pay phone somewhere and I would try to call them back . Oftentimes it was business related . Yes , it was a hassle , but as I think back on it now , the business or the friends and family would only page me if they really needed me . They didn't page me to say hi , otherwise whatever they had to say would have to wait until I got home , and if no one there was there to take the message , then I would go to my answering machine and the message would be there for me . Oh , yes , that could go all day about talking about the past and , in hindsight , how things used to be so much more simple and less stressful , living in a world that wasn't constantly in communication , with the 24-hour news cycle . Yeah , I could go all day on that , but I won't . But I won't because that's not our topic for today .

Ron 3:16

I will say this though For all the wonders , all the ways they keep us in touch , these cell phones can , rather ironically , disconnect us from what's right in front of us , and that is what we're talking about today . Because you see , from a seat of a motorcycle , you want to be absolutely connected with everything around you , not only for safety , but for the wonders , the views , the smells , the sounds of everything that's all around you . If we can find ourselves connected with our mom , with Mother Nature and the machine , oh my goodness , that's wonderful . Maybe even that's peace of mind . Just think about it for a moment .

The True Experience of Riding

Ron 4:23

Riding your motorcycle isn't just about getting from point A to point B . It's an experience , isn't it ? It demands your full attention , your complete focus . You're feeling the road . You're leaning into the curves , accelerating , braking , changing gears most of the time doing all that without even thinking about it . After a while you get into the flow . You're part of the flow . The wind , the hum of the engine , the way the bike vibrates underneath you , the world passing by , it's all part of this kind of dance between you , the machine and the landscape . I may be wrong , but I currently don't believe that there is any artificial intelligence-driven experience or a ride at Disneyland for that matter that can replace that feeling . Can you picture yourself in that moment , on your bike , in a zen state where all is right with the world , in a zen state where all is right with the world and then no-transcript , ah yes .

Ron 5:56

As for me , I have family members who want to know where I am , and I do check my phone from time to time , but most of the time my phone is tucked away deep in the saddlebag , silenced , out of sight and out of mind . With as much

Rediscovering Senses Through Unplugged Riding

Ron 6:11

riding as I do up in the mountains on dirt roads that I've been doing especially this past year , my phone would probably just get , it would just get ruined , actually , if I had it connected to my handlebars . There's just so much dust and dirt up there and all the shaking and such , so I put it in a secure place out of the dust and dirt , yeah , in a place that has some cushion . Especially these days when I ride a motorcycle , among other things for stress management as much as anything , I typically don't want my phone in sight or where I can hear it , hear it . So what I found and what I've rediscovered really is quite remarkable , at least for me .

Ron 7:01

When you take away that digital tether , something else opens up . Maybe it's my sense of being alive . You start to truly see again . You notice the way the sunlight filters through the trees when I'm standing up on the pegs and riding really slow down a dirt road , the changing colors of the fields , the scents that are in the air , the breeze , the pine smell in the forest , the fresh scent of rain just before a shower the sounds too , become just richer . Sounds too become just richer . It's the sound of the engine , the soothing sound of the wind , the far-off sounds , even of birds . When you're quiet , or a distant train , your mind no longer is pulled in a dozen different directions . It settles , it focuses on the immediate , on the ride itself , and it's a profound sense of calm for me , a real connection to the moment . And , fellow writers , to try it sometime On your next ride , big or small , consider leaving your phone out of reach .

Ron 8:43

See how that feels . It may feel uneasy at first , but give yourself the gift of being truly present . I think that you'll find that the ride becomes richer ,

An Invitation to Ride Phone-Free

Ron 8:55

the views more vibrant , more deeply satisfying . Because in the end it's not just about the miles you cover , right , it's about the journey itself and how fully you experience it . And sometimes I believe the best way to experience it is to simply unplug . It's a small step that can lead to a bigger world and perhaps even help us bridge some of those gaps of isolation that so many in the world seem to be experiencing now with a phone in their hand , as always . Thank you so much for listening . Until next time , be safe and enjoy that journey unplugged , if you can . Meanwhile , I wish you peace and I wish you love .