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| Author Robert Pirsig and his son Chris in 1968. |
I am saddened to learn about the passing today of Robert Pirsig, author of one of my all-time favorite books. I read it first when I was a teen, and my idea of a cross-country trip on 2 wheels was #RAGBRAI.
Many years later, I re-read the same dog-eared copy as a 50-year-old cancer patient with a broken marriage, an unfinished dissertation, and a glorious #Road_King.
Reading a book the second time can be an amazing experience, particularly if the intervening years had some character-building experiences...
In my youth, I latched on to the lighter part of #ZAMM which deals with adventure--the open road, and a mechanic's appreciation for the well-engineered machine.
My second exposure occurred many hard miles later. At that time, Pirsig's dark and desperate struggle to find truth, keep his sanity, and add value to the world--all of that absolutely pierced me.
I am grateful for my life and all of its lessons. I am grateful that every time I was ready to learn, a teacher appeared.
Thank you, Robert, for so much wisdom lurking behind the veneer of a travel story. You taught us to not merely exist but to truly "be in the scene." May your heavenly highways be full of twisty turns. In the afterlife, may man and machine work as one, evermore.
Links for further reading:
- NPR broke the story of Pirsig's passing at 88 years of age
- Here is an idea for a course I'd love to teach
- Here is my 83rd birthday tribute to Robert Pirsig
- Here is a post containing my favorite Pirsig quote
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