Cruising
Different people have different ways to decompress and just unwind after a long hard day or week. One way is not necessarily better than the other. Nowadays for me, I enjoy a good cup of coffee and playing games online with the friends I have made over the years or just watching a good movie - with my wife on one side and my dog on the other side.
About 10 years ago decompressing always meant a long winding road on my motorcycle. I have been riding ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I started out on a 70s Honda 50 minibike and other such miniature motorbikes. Over the years my taste in bikes and size of the motor has grown. My last bike was a Vulcan 1500. One of the sweetest rides I have owned. I like a good Harley as much as anyone, but I have always been on a budget when it comes to motorcycles.
Riding motorcycles is like a form of meditation if you ask me. Throw a leg over the mount and a healthy twist of the throttle and I am on my way to leaving all my troubles behind. As the roar of the wind picks up and I lean into the curve I can quickly feel the tension evaporating.
The younger I was, the longer the rides would last. Some of my favorite memories are of the trips we took to Austin to attend the Republic of Texas biker rally (R.O.T. rally for short). I would always ride down with my father-in-law and my wife, and one year even my little brother joined us. On longer rides it’s always about endurance and re-adjusting as my underside grew numb and hand cramps ensued. All worth the pains for the long rides. Some would trailer their bikes to these rallies then just unload them to ride around town. I never understood this and would not be caught dead trailoring my bike to a rally.
The air obliterating all other noises, the vibration of the motor awakening that part of your soul that has been dormant all week, and the rhythmic ups and downs of the road wash away all signs of stress, worry, and normal everyday doldrums of a work week. The ride is transcendent, meditative, and should be a prescription filled by everyone at least once in their lives.
Those days are far behind me now sadly. I have been battling A.S. for 20 years and the disease has taken its toll on my spine and joints. I had to give up riding about 10 years ago, and my soul yearns for those days of carefree riding and tests of endurance on long trips to biker rallies. Now I just relive those memories fondly from time to time, and think to myself one day I will take another ride sometime, wishfully thinking knowing that day most likely won’t come.
This is Will B saying keep your motor running, head out on the highway as Steppenwolf Rock Band sang so wildly.