A couple of weeks ago, a friend asked me what place gives me that feeling of a special connection, that feeling of sense and belonging. I couldn’t remember the Māori phrase he used, but it reminded me of the concept of Tūrangawaewae.
“Tūrangawaewae are places where we feel especially empowered and connected. They are our foundation, our place in the world, our home. For each person, the marae is the place where their ancestors are present, where they spend their formative years and learn important lessons.
They gain the right to stand upon their marae and proclaim their views about the world and life.”
As a scientist, I don’t do spirituality, but I do have something that gives me that same sense of empowerment and connection: my passion for the most iconic MotoGP race bike of my youth and formative years. Those bikes were a beast to ride, and when you slipped up, it bucked you off in the most spectacular and breathtaking bone-breaking fashion. But did it stop the riders from getting back on them again? No, they strapped up and screwed together their broken shoulders, arms and wrists, donned new leathers, and washed, rinsed, repeat.
To me, this bike represents everything that’s special to me, hard to do, and often seems out-of-reach in life. But it doesn’t stop me from trying to own it.
This is my Tūrangawaewae.
