Fab Ride!!! (Of course it's long!)

Carolyn and I got home early afternoon Sunday... What a great time we had! Really nice ride over to Americus, GA, from Wetumpka,AL - no issues, weather nearly perfect, roads all good, two lane back roads all the way, light traffic, few smokies all looking the other way or in donut shops, no animal sightings to speak of... all with a big pay-off at our destination!

The Napper has simply been amazed at the folks she's met and continues to meet in the Valk community. I know exactly how she feels, too. I've ridden, as she has, with Harley riders, Gold Wingers, and drivers of other brands too, but by far our favorite bunch are those who transport themselves aboard Valks... Something about us, I reckon... Whatever it is, though, it is palpable, instantly recognizable, and really, really kewl.

Her first introduction to our unique group, indeed her first ever ride with me, was the Cheaha event last year. It just blew her away! She was so enthusiastic that she eagerly signed on for a 'Q' ride to Chiefland, FL, the Romp in The Swamp Ride, the Natchez Trace Ride, and the Fall Color Ride too... Now we're gonna do those rides again this year... plus some others, if we can.

We'd decided to do an overnighter this past weekend, since the weather was to be so nice, I'd pretty much recovered from my ailments, and we both were suffering from serious cases of cabin fever and PMS. The thought of meeting up with other Valkers (actual, former or spiritual) was a huge bonus...

Imagine my surprise when I learned we'd all arrived within minutes of each other at the Andersonville POW Museum parking lot... Who'da thought it! Three couples all coming from different states and different directions, plus me having to deal with a time zone change!!! See, now you know why you frequently hear me say, "I'd rather be lucky than good!!!"

Visiting that National Historic Site is always a moving experience for yours truly (fifth time there for me). There is much to learn about ourselves - the human species - by pondering the extremes to which we can justify going when inflicting injustice upon our fellows.

Our ability to rationalize almost anything 'for a greater good', or through necessity, or out of circumstances beyond our control... Is there really an answer to how one deals with the contrasting and conflicting dilemmas when lofty ideals present themselves simultaneously with the harsh reality of the absence of even the most basic human needs including survival itself or the ability to meet them? Our ability to balance those competing extremes is a function of how we choose to move ‘our moral fulcrum‘, and that is an entirely personal item that varies among each of us.

Well, the lessons we can learn from those events are easily transferable, to me at least, into modern times, indeed, into my own experiences as an ordinary person and a voting, participating member of our society...

It is at once humbling, inspiring, and profoundly sad to absorb all the information presented there about the plight of all prisoner of war participants - those incarcerated as well as their captors, decision makers, and witnesses. Sobering too, as I can visualize myself in any of the roles of the cast of players upon that tragic stage in the broader realm of world affairs… and wonder if I might have done anything differently…

After touring the Museum, we rode around the prison site itself, then through the cemetery... some of us fighting back tears, as the real drama and tragedy of it all sank in... Is this the best mankind can do? Can we not find a better way to resolve our differences than war? Apparently not... and our grandkids' grandkids will in their time build similar monuments, just as we have, and our grandparents' grandparents did before us... Now there's the real tragedy!

The ride south back to Americus was less than twenty miles, with the smallish statue and plaque commerating the first solo flight of Charles Lingerburgh along the way. According to the sparse information on this minor event, he'd bought his first airplane there, came down and flew it home... and the rest, as they say, is history...

We rather easily found RD's BBQ and Catering in Americus, even though I was leading our group... Thanks to Napper, that is. It's always good to have an involved co-rider when you're as navigationally challenged as I am! The grub was good (I recommend this place), and the group was congenial as always, as we chatted about this 'n that, laughed a lot, and just plain enjoyed each others' company.

We decided to ride the fifteen miles or so west to Plains, GA., to visit the hometown of Billy Carter, famous former first brother and son of Ms. Lillian. He was also the inspiration for the creation of Billy Beer... now there's a for real good ol' boy for ya! Oh yeah, his somewhat more famous brother was also from there.

Ahhh... we could easily have been mistaken for Gold Wingers there, as we savored peanut butter ice cream, fried peanuts and other delicacies so soon after a hefty meal. All under the approving gaze of Jimmie and Rosalynn Carter, whose pictures everywhere were looking right at us.

He, the former prez, was an imperfect character, who found himself in an impossible circumstance, but did the best he could with the limited vision he had, derived from his own influences, experiences, education and philosophical development... A truly noble and worthwhile person who is at best limited and flawed, as surely as are all of the rest of us for exactly the same reasons.

We sat outside on the benches in front of the shop right on main street for a time, watching small town America unfold before us, chatting about the day's activities, and luxuriating in the warm, comforting joy of being among kindred spirits... Genuine folks who feel no need to prove anything or impress anyone... just folks who like us, overlook our faults, and most of all are willing to ride hundreds of miles just to share a brief time with us... Life can be sooooo good, can't it?

We said our good byes there, then split up as Fred & DD, Napper & I turned into the hotel parking lot, and Steve & Linda continued on their return home. The hotel is The Windsor (a Best Western Plus property). It's also a local show piece, built in 1892, completely restored, and well maintained. If you don't count the unlevel floors in a few spots and the lack of totally square corners at all joineries, it's a pretty impressive inn... I really enjoyed this mostly first class establishment, and I do hope to stay there again sometime.

We met up with our remaining couple in the lounge later, and continued on with our long delayed reunion... Napper and I remained after the others retired for the evening, then all met up again for breakfast and more good byes the next morning... Dang! What a great weekend!

The weather for us on Sunday proved to be even better than what we'd enjoyed the day before! The ride itself was an easy retracing of the route we'd taken over... slower this time as there was no sense of time pressure for me.

Among my many reasons for relishing riding so much is the 'quiet time' abundantly available for serious reflection and introspection. I revisited the failure of mankind to treat each of its members better than we do. I thought of the many reasons for that, and I wondered if mankind is perfectible. No, I long ago concluded, we're not. Are we at least improvable? Perhaps.

No institution, group, or structure can be enduring without the construct being of quality parts. I wondered about that for a while, then rethought a premise I'd drawn years ago... Am I improvable? I'd earnestly set out to learn the answer. I soon realized that I was as good as any at rationalizing and justifying my own imperfections, errors, omissions, and failures. To the extent those abilities exist within each of us, the potential for regrettable behavior likewise exists...

It is my sincere hope that our grandkids' grandkids will have far fewer monuments to erect than all those generations who have preceded them... Likely? I dunno... In any event, there is still the Valk and all the good things that come with that... 'Comfort' in the extreme!

DDT