True Stories and Other Rarities
When the lamp hit the wall, we knew we needed a change. And change things we did. Very shortly afterwards we sold everything we owned, bought backpacks and boots and two one-way tickets to Bangkok Thailand. We didn’t know when we were coming back or even where we would go but Bangkok was a start and we needed a new start.
We had come back from Asia with an ending in mind and instead I happened upon our bicycles sitting, dust covered, in the corner of the barn. We had a little money and we lacked the sense to save it. As far as we were concerned this was a great combination that added up to a nice, easy adventure. We would soon be on our way again, finding out that adventure can take many forms. We lived in a tent and cooked on a small camp stove. We met people that told us their stories, shared their homes and asked us questions. The hospitality of strangers amazed us. They opened up their homes to us. The travels we had ventured on left us with longing questions that would haunt us for years to come, and it left us with a sense of accomplishment. And so an idea for an adventure was born and that is all it took. We were off to England.
Mark and his Suzuki DL 650 that he calls “Mabel” love adventure. This is a collection of some of the
adventures that they have shared. Like most motorcyclists, a certain relationship develops with the motorcycle; Mabel and Mark trust each other. As they have found out on many occasions adventures are those things that happen to plans and sometimes you need someone you can trust. These are some of those stories.
“Mabel and I have had our fun and our difficulties. Both she and I are getting up there in years but I like to think that both of us have a few more thousand miles in us. I know that when I get back from a long tour and park Mabel it’s not long before I’m thinking of my next adventure, and I think I can hear Mabel thinking about the same thing.”
This small collection of eight original ragtime pieces is a nod to Scott Joplin, Joseph Lamb and many other lesser known composers as well as a truly American music. I don’t believe that ragtime gets the accolades that it deserves and I am trying to change that. Recordings of all the pieces and a print version are available at http://www.markgowan.com. It is also available as an Ebook at all online bookstores.
The Armchair Philosopher 