Going for a Ride

It's beautiful out this morning. The sun is shining and it appears to be one of those days where being outside bringss a lift to one's spirit. And so, I think we shall go for a motorcycle ride this afternoon.

I really miss riding. Once the weather turned cold, of course, riding became a distant memory. And every time I see the bike sitting in the garage, chrome shining like a mirror as Roy is always buffing it, I feel a little ache in my chest. Who knew I would love riding so much? But there is nothing like riding on the back of the motorcycle, holding tightly to the husband as everything whizzes by. It     spells freedom. All thoughts melt away out there on the bike with just the pavement and the trees and the wind.

We bought the bike about a year ago. One day the previous fall, I made a flippant comment that it would be a lot of fun to ride on a motorcycle. It was one of those whimsical statements that had absolutely no teeth; I don't even know what sparked it. But when we would be driving down the road and get passed by a couple on a motorcycle, I always thought, ˆThat looks like so much fun!" Of course, I never dared to dream that we would own one. So maybe that is what spurred the commet; or maybe I saw a picture on facebook or the news...who knows.

But anyway, when I made this comment, Roy was in the throes of selling out of his business. The big ticket item that he sold was a customized trailer that he'd spent hours building and getting it just so. It had roll out shelves and a built-fan; it had customized straps for anchoring planes. It was a cadillac-version of an airplane trailer. He lost a little piece of his heart the day it was pulled away as, when he built it, he assumed it would be for a lifetime. But when we moved to North Carolina, he quickly realized that his remote-control airplane hobby was a thing of the past. People just don't fly out here like they do in Missouri. He tried futily to make connections in the community for well over two years; all to no avail. And so, after the trailer sat unused that second year, he determined that it was just a money pit.

Roy is one of those people that needs a hobby. He doesn't do well living the average life of work and family and... the end. He likes to piddle, create, envision. And so, when I made my comment on the tailwind of the departing trailer, Roy's interest was piqued. Without saying a word, he began a systematic search for a motorcycle. I don't think I even realized how serious he was. I mean, evenings were spent purusing different sites he found online; he bookmarked them and read descriptions of various motorcycles, his glasses perched on his nose, feet kicked up in his chair. But I figured he was just passing the time. He isn't really serious.

Sometimes I am just not the brightest bull on the block.

And then, after several months of diligently searching every night, Roy happened upon the perfect bike. It was priced just right; it had all the bells and whistles; it was his dream bike. And so, we loaded up, just the two of us, and headed to Myrtle Beach to look at it. As soon as the guy opeed the door to his garage that housed the bike, my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't even believe it--never seen something quite like it.

It was a beauty.

And so, we brought it home, got it registered and insured, and then after a few months of practicing and taking a class in Asheville, Roy got his license. We were official.

We rode all summer: up into the mountains, over to Cherokee, back roads around Asheville...And as each ride came to a close, I eagerly anticipated the next one.

I recognize that riding is dangerous. It only takes a second and life can be altered in profound ways. So for that reason, I don't know that we will do this for years to come. But Roy is so careful and attentive to his environment. We avoid highways and busy roads.

But out there just the two of us? Talking a mile a minute through our speaker system that's mounted in our helmets? Well, it's just a beautiful thing.

And so...today? We'e going for a ride: the telltale signs of winter whizzing by; cars so close I can reach out and touch them; the pavement beneath me; clinging to this guy in front of me whom I happen to adore; all thoughts blown away as we ride up into the moutains...just the two of us.