I recently watched “Harley and the Davidsons,” a six hour historical drama by the Discovery Channel about the most iconic brand of all time – Harley-Davidson. Shown in three, 2-hour segments, this is a drama worthy of watching. The reviews are positive, especially if you’re a motorcycle enthusiast. It's a journey of discovery. I liked it and recommend it.

The Discovery Channel summarizes the plot this way: “Based on a true story, "Harley and the Davidsons" charts the birth of this iconic bike during a time of great social and technological change beginning at the turn of the 20th century. Walter, Arthur and Bill risked their entire fortune and livelihood to launch the budding enterprise. Each of these men faced very different challenges, but it was the motorcycle that united their dreams and ambitions. Walter, Arthur, and Bill cemented Harley-Davidson's reputation as a builder of bikes that go anywhere, can ride hard and ignore all the rules. It's a legacy that has endured over 100 years - and at the heart of the brand and its loyal riders.”

Without giving away the details, the story-line is about as American as it can get. We see traits we all value, such as initiative, inventiveness, persistence, stubbornness, and the ability to overcome what seems to be impossible. To quote one reviewer, the series shows “how entrepreneurs and business people often fail, but those that succeed are the ones who continued to push in spite of the failures. These guys [Harley and the Davidson brothers] never gave up on the idea itself and never gave in to the setbacks and outright disasters along the way; the war, the great depression, personal illness, patent issues, failed designs, failed races, competition, money issues… That is the true heart of entrepreneurship…The spirit was there and you felt it throughout the entire series.” --Flowertimezones

So, what is that "spirit" Flowertimezones refers to? Maybe we shouldn't even ask. Is this the classic, “If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand” conundrum? We’ll probably never know, really. It’s like the quantum mechanics uncertainty principle: when you think you know it, it has changed. In the end, the series is about that magical spirit that pulses through all of us Harley riders and enthusiasts. It’s elusive, ephemeral, almost ethereal. And it is different for each of us. All we know is that a Harley-Davidson changes us and we are different. Suddenly, we can relate to the same spiritual awaking that Bill Harley, Arthur Davidson, and Walter Davidson must have felt all those years ago. It is a life changing experience. To quote TS Eliot, "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." This spirit is really about knowing and understanding ourselves, and in so doing finally knowing and believing that all things are possible.

In closing, this series goes beyond Harley-Davidson's history, beginning in a 10x15-foot wooden shack in 1903 to its current status as the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer. It's also about getting to know yourself, and enjoying the ride of life.