So I filmed something for Venue when the pandemic started laughing about “Guys, if you didn’t need a motorcycle BEFORE this you don’t need one now.”
One thing I love about myself is my sense of irony. Within a couple of weeks I had a motorcycle of course, so I had to film something else when we went to BC to get it along the lines of “I know I said _____, so don’t bother pointing that out:)”
Anything one says with a smile about an, um, interesting decision they’ve made always helps one not take themselves too seriously…
I’m not exactly a rule follower, particularly silly rules. Most Canadians by percentage are rule followers, but I was always the kid in school with his hand up (respectfully or my mom would kill me) looking around mystified while I said “Excuse me, maybe I’m asking this for everyone, but WHY are we doing this again? Perhaps I missed that part?” (Also possible. I lose focus when someone stops making sense)
This went over really well in a rule following society as you can imagine. One day I had the nerve to question a teacher’s decision to subtract 10% off of everybody’s test result because he disagreed with the province’s 50% pass rule. He thought it should be 60%. 
“So, because you’re mad at the province my marks go down? What happens if I don’t get any wrong?”
“You still get 100% of course” he said. 
“But if I get one wrong I get 85%???” 
“Yes”
Me: Brain exploding. 
I love the fairness bureaucratic systems SAY they offer, but the basis of a bureaucrat’s decision making is not the end product, but to remain in power. 
Sadly, the rules that disagree with the other rules don’t seem to be going away. I’m extremely worried that we’re all going to have Too Strict Dad syndrome pretty quick because extreme rules need to back off when children learn the lesson and use common sense, not be added to with many more. 
…A social study the majority of people would agree with but aren’t allowed to because disagreeing with current rules was somehow made a moral faux pas and enforced with the religious fervour of the crusades. 
Didn’t think I’d studied history eh? Thought I was too practical for that eh?
More like too scared for my own skin to speak up. I’m just a little worried some of the hall monitors someone gave the board with the nail sticking out of the end don’t really care about covid anymore but just like being in power. 
But to be fair I don’t love rules all that much to begin with, so I have to discipline myself and know my natural reactions, particularly to the rules of God that can bring security in any condition anywhere. 
There is a higher law you know… 
Rant over. 
So I bought myself a wicked fast Yamaha motorcycle to buy back my ability to decide things for myself:) Once a population becomes risk adverse it becomes doomed, so I took risks that I thought were acceptable and learned how to do wheelies. 
But the title of this article is Diesel Ducati Special Edition. 
I WAS perfectly happy with my emotional covid purchase (I had the cash ya’ll. Dave Ramsey fan…) until I saw someone selling a twentieth anniversary Ducati Monster that the Italian clothing designer Diesel designed the looks of in 2013. 
Ever see something you knew immediately you couldn’t live without?
First when I saw the Kijiji ad I thought “Who on earth would want a bike that runs on diesel?”. It took my NOT mechanically minded wife to say “Diesel, like the shirt you’re wearing right now!?”
“NO!!!!!!!” I said as the product become infinitely more attractive. 
Just so you don’t think I’m being overpaid by the church, as Diesel is a decently expensive brand, I would humbly note that I buy Diesel off the clearance rack at Winners and quail when a shirt costs $18. Nobody in this country has ever left a well paying job in industry for the lure of a high paying pastor’s salary because “high paying” is what I used to make apprenticing two decades ago. 
I terrific guy named B___ was selling it who has a beautiful property backing onto the Bow River. The more I spoke with him, the more I realized he was just the sort who one OUGHT TO buy a Diesel Ducati from. Fussy. All the maintenance records. Huge pride in owning the bike and reluctance to sell it. 
I had my buddy Edwards look at it. “Why would you want a bike that runs on diesel???” He said. I smiled smugly and replied in my best self-righteous tone “Oh Edwards, you don’t know much do you?… Diesel is an Italian clothing brand…” (I may or may not have said any of that because he’s much larger and scarier than I, and I needed him to talk my wife into letting me buy it). 
It all worked out in the end and now I have the world’s coolest bike in my garage for about the same price I’ll sell my newer Yamaha MT09. 
Will it cost me more in maintenance? Undoubtedly. Will my status in the community go up? For sure. 
But my rule breaking side in this time where Fear is taking so much from us just couldn’t resist the Diesel motto ONLY THE BRAVE. 
So I really did it to inspire YOU to be brave (cough cough). You’re welcome. 
Also in other news I have a motorcycle for sale on Kijiji somebody should buy before my wife sees both in my garage too many times…