Use and Value

"Shit!"

"What happened?" Serafin asked.

"The bike tipped over when I was packing at the gas station. The valve head case just got scratched and I just replaced it.

While I was upset at the moment, I thought about it and came to the following realization:

The purpose of the bike is not to go unscratched, but to be the magic carpet that I ride from destination to destination. The scratches that the bike gets are little badges of honor marking the adventures and excursions.

Is the purpose of the bike to keep it as perfect and new as possible. To keep it unscathed and in tact as long as we can? Or is the purpose of the bike to use and use thoroughly. To get every ounce of adventure out of it so that at the end of its life we can look back and say "I did everything I wanted to do and could do with this thing."

That is how it is with life. Is the purpose in life to live as long as possible with the fewest scratches? Or to be in a state when you check out that you look at yourself and say, "Wow, I got a lot of miles out of this baby, and ohh the places we went!"

All things have a value derived from their use. If you have it and dont use it, it is the equivalent of not having it.

Use it or lose it.