My Royal Enfield stayed home on Ride-to-Work day

Monday was the 20th Annual Ride (your motorcycle) to Work Day, but I didn't ride.

My Royal Enfield motorcycle and my job were both 3,000 miles away — I was visiting family in Los Angeles.

That sounds like a pretty good excuse for not riding. But the truth is that I probably wouldn't have ridden, even if I'd been home.

Realizing that makes me sad.

I racked up 40,000 miles commuting on my 1999 Bullet before embarking on the Sea of Unemployment in 2008. Commuting to work was my favorite part of every work day. My route took me down some pretty lanes that were perfect for the Royal Enfield.

I have a part-time gig at the moment and it's a longer commute down I-95, a distinctly ugly expressway. As on most urban freeways in the U.S., you're either doing 10 mph over the legal limit or reduced to stop-and-crawl. Neither speed is good for a Royal Enfield Bullet.

But not riding is not good for me. I day dream as I drive the car, punching radio buttons, doing President Obama's worrying for him. I get to work drained of energy; I get home with all the worries of the day intact.

When I rode to work I was "centered." I concentrated on what I was doing because I had to and because I enjoyed the experience. It was mentally cleansing (although far sweatier physically).

I want that feeling back.