Failing Brakes, Implied Terrorist, Writings on the Soul, and a Self-Portrait sans Self
September 13th, 2008 by Wayne (Wirs)
How’s that for a title? Welcome to my life. Just as I was coming up to the Canadian/US border, my brakes started to feel really, really, mushy…
I pull over, checked the brake fluid level and find it to be almost empty. I look for leaks and find one near my right rear tires. I add fluid and pray that I’ll make it across the border. I used the emergency brake during the 2 hours of stop and go traffic waiting to clear customs.
I apparently look enough like a terrorist to justify a full RV search again. Half an hour later, after I finally clear customs, Larry the Customs Guy – we’re on a first name basis now – told me of this mechanic he uses in town. I creep over to the garage, and it turns out that the brake line had been rubbing up against the muffler and “abraded,” causing it to drip fluid onto the hot muffler. I told the mechanic, “Thank God brake fluid isn’t flammable.” To which he replied, “It is.”
He couldn’t fix it properly, so he just plugged that line (total cost: $20) and sent me on my way (with brakes on only three wheels). I stopped in the first campground I could find and de-stressed.
In the morning, I headed down to Ellsworth, Maine, found a place to stay for a couple days, made an appointment with a mechanic for Monday and spent a few hours working on The Implications of the Soul . Maybe I’ll take the bike down to Acadia National Park tomorrow.
The photo above is a self-portrait of me (obviously) taking a break from writing The Implications of the Soul. Note the three major requirements for writing artful prose: Nature, a computer and a muse beer.
See Also: Act IV
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September 15th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
As you recall, whenever we would get caught sneeking into stateparks, campgrounds, etc; you were the one people would go after.
(is that a rag on your head?)
September 15th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
That right… You’d get us into trouble, then – when we’d get caught – they’d go after me and completely ignore you. I do have a guilty looking face.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Times are different now, but when I crossed the border from the U.S. into Canada in the 80s with a 30′ rented truck full of possessions, I handed customs a detailed list of the truck’s contents. They looked at it, asked a few questions, and sent me on my way, never looking into the truck. Wayne, I don’t know if you’ve written a list of your RV’s contents down to the last screwdriver, but it may help next time you come into Canada, not to mention the practicality of it.
September 19th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Thanks Jerry. Good idea.
For those who don’t know him, Jerry K is the editor of NonDuality.com which a great site for learning about the concepts of non-duality that I often refer to in this blog and in The Implications of the Soul.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:23 am
Hey Wayne, we went through that area last year, at about the exact same time too. Sorry about your brake issues. Grrr. At least you got to hang out there during a lovely part of the year.