The Skills You Only Learn by Going
The Skills You Only Learn by Going
Some things come from books. The rest come from a canyon, a mountain, or a chair in Tokyo.
Riding With the Herd
One February I rode a motorcycle from Washington to Texas for a live show. Somewhere in a Montana canyon I came up on a cattle drive, and for about twenty miles I rode in the middle of it. Cattle moved on every side of me, and I kept to the pace of the herd.
The skill there was patience. The herd set the speed. I rode at it and was glad to be there.
Sitting Still in Tokyo
For more than eight years I have been tattooed by Horitoshi I in Tokyo, one of the city's oldest masters. We do not share a language. We are close friends anyway.
The skill in that chair is stillness, and trust. Over the years you learn to understand a man by how he works.
Jumping and Skiing
I have jumped out of planes in Panama and skied the largest mountains in North America. Both teach the same thing. You prepare. You trust your gear and the people beside you. Then you commit.
What Goes With You
Every one of these places asks something of what you wear. The Ultimate Wool Chore Coat in GOLDEN Harris Tweed is the kind of coat I want out there. The GOLDEN Harris Tweed is woven by hand in Scotland especially for Black Bear Brand, and the coat is made in Seattle. It is lined in diamond quilting made for us in Japan. It has our own cuffs, double-needle stitching throughout, the Black Bear Brand YKK donut button and snaps, a diamond back stitch on the collar, and the COMMANDER tag inside the neck.
A good life is mostly a collection of skills and rituals. You only get them by going.
A Way Of Life.
Shop the Story
Ultimate Wool Chore Coat, GOLDEN Harris Tweed
The Black Bear Brand Factory Store
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