Family reunion

 

  I've been riding for several years now and have never told the rest
of the family as they are all very anti-motorcycle type. None of them
have ever ridden a motorcycle but they can cite with utmost certanity
how dangerous they are and how difficult they are to ride.  I live a
few hundred miles away from the closest relative and they rarely come
to visit us as the wife and I live in a rather small place. No big
deal, we always enjoy going to vist them.........in the car. This year
tho the sisters planned a family reunion and Jane and I decided to
ride the bike rather than take the car. The reunion was being held at
one of the lakes in central Florida. At really pretty area that my
brothers and I had spent time at when we were a lot younger, pre
Disney days. About 25 people including in-laws and kids. It's not
quite as remote now but still a nice place. On purpose Jane and I
arrived a bit late on our almost new Honda Shadow. Total silence When
I turned of the engine. .I said "Hi everyone, when do we eat."  For
the next 5 hours or so I got the usual family lecture from my mom and
two sisters (all nurses) about how I was going to die if I continued
riding the motorcycle, worse yet how I was going to be responsible for
the death of my wife. This time i had come prepared tho with my own
set of statistics and I told them how I had taken the MSF  basic and
the ERC classes and not only was I a better and safer motorcycle rider
but a better car driver, etc, etc, etc.  By the end of the day I think
that they had come to veiw motorcycle riding (at least how I ride) a
little bit differently and a more that a few of the husbands were
asking questions about the bike. My brother. Paul, even asked to ride
it around the park, "when you get you motorcycle endorsement" I told
him. Jane and I left in the evening, rode back over to Daytona Beach
then up A!A along the ocean, at night,  to Jacksonville on an
absolutely  beautiful warm summer night....why we ride!



Dr Phil

 


That enjoyment you get out riding (especially when it enhances your
marriage, as something you can share together) is a factor that's hard
to explain to skeptical relatives, but I'll bet they know.  I know a
lot of people who are scared of riding, but wish they weren't.

 



Cool beans. My family doesn't have any other riders but they know I
love it and they accept it, risks and all.

My wife doesn't ride with me anymore but she also understands my
passion for riding, I wish she did but accept that it's her decision.

 



My wife no doesn't ride with me either, and I'm
damn glad.

"slow down", "speed up", "turn here", "are you
paying attention", "I'm hot", "I'm cold", "look!
there's a garage sale". etc., etc., etc.

 



That's what the full-face helmet is for.

"What? I can't hear you. If you need to stop and take a break, pat my
chest."

--
Timberwoof <me at timberwoof dot com>
faq:  http://www.timberwoof.com/motorcycle/faq.shtml
Ten Steps to Fascism: http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2064157,00.html