5/19/06 Motorcycle Down

A few days ago I was driving to a job I saw an accident that had just happened, police were just arriving to the scene. As I drove slowly by I could see a mini van type car really smashed up. And then I saw it, a huge motorcycle down. After looking at the messed up car, I knew that the person who was riding that bike probably wasn't alive anymore.

I hate seeing this. Just the day before I had been riding my motorcycle on that very same road.

Later that day I found out that a 60 + year old man was killed riding his motorcycle. At the time they were investigating and didn't have much information. All that was being said was the lady driving the car drifted into his lane, but no answers as to why. It's so amazing how fast a life can be taken.

I've found out tonight a little about the man that was killed. He had just taken up riding motorcycles about five years ago. Didn't like riding in traffic and thought it was safer riding in the morning hours. He was killed at about 9 AM in the morning. The woman who was driving the car has been booked for felony driving under the influence of prescription drugs and vehicular manslaughter.

I write this because it feels good to get my feelings out on paper, but I also write to let you know that any adventure you take on, means taking some type of risk.

There are a lot of people who give me a hard time for riding a motorcycle. But I love to ride. When I'm riding -- everything is good in the world. This last week I was able to take a ride for a few hours. I rode out to a local lake near by. There's nothing that clears my head like a ride. So is it worth risking death to ride?

Well...for me...it is. Riding a motorcycle is my thing. I'm just so thankful I've found my thing. I could sit around and wish it was something else and wonder why I couldn't be content baking cookies. Asking why is a waste of time. It is what it is.

About a week after I bought my motorcycle a young woman was killed riding home her bike from a restaurant. She was riding with a friend of mine who had just waved goodbye to her. She turned left right into an oncoming car (this intersection does not have one of those signs that explains that you need to yield to oncoming traffic) This accident shook me up a bit. Here I was about to live my dream of owning my own motorcycle and this young woman was killed.

I can't explain my love for riding motorcycles. All I know is I hope to do many solo trips on my bike in the future. I want to discover the world on my motorcycle. It's one of my personal adventures.

My hope for you is that you'll find your personal adventure and no matter what...You make it happen.