Doing a little looking back

at my older stories. This one is about what I'm thinking today. I'm not very active here anymore because I don't ride so no new true riding stories. Thought I'd post this one one more time.

Soliloquy

The Riding for Summer is here and is a good time to collect and review my thoughts through the years. A time for looking back and a time for looking forward. Even a time for not looking at all, just a time for reflecting on the present. Much can be said for reflecting on all the happenings in my 84 years of life but today I will be exclusive. My thoughts are revolving around the exclusiveness of riding powered contraptions of only two wheels, or to be more explicit, motorcycling

The Summer of many years ago I enjoyed my first taste of powered two wheeling. A simple engine of 2 ½ horsepower mounted in the frame of a Schwinn bicycle, aptly named the Henderson. At the time, the name Henderson meant nothing to me. It wasn’t until I visited the Schwinn factory in 1950 that I realized Henderson was a name associated with one of the first motorcycles ever made.

My brief sojourn into powered riding started with that modest Whizzer. I graduated from that into a series of motorcycles stepping up in cost and power each time. My riding skills , by necessity, also stepped up.

The culmination of motorcycling reached the peak for me with the purchase of a six cylinder motorcycle, a motorcycle that was designed by an enthusiast with me in mind.

After 13 years of ownership of this marvelous machine, the amazing Valkyrie, I found that my skills were on a downward slope which was accompanied by a corresponding decrease in strength and purpose of my knees. The bike was simply too heavy to maneuver any longer with my degrading knees. I found the bike a new home and a very deserving one.

The Past is now memories of the wonderful experiences of motorcycling, The joys of wind-in-my-face, the grumblings while riding in bad weather magically turned into a“wow, that was great” rush, the rhythm of the road, The long miles of almost boredom, punctuated by threats of damage to me and my machine. All these, are in my memory.

However, memory can be a bad thing. As I get older I must constantly remind myself that there is a difference between remembering the past and living it. Remembering the past and sharing thoughts is MUCH different than living it.

Living the past can result in a down spiraling attempt to interject my experiences into the words and activities of others that are living in the present. . I have had my experiences, others are working on theirs and they must be allowed to do without interference from one who remembers the past but is relearning how to live for today. And that’s me. I must try to live day by day..

Living for today, I am looking forward to riding my less inspiring motorcycle using my less inspiring body but still inspired by the RUSH of motorcycling! I must admit that I’m not setting any kind of new record for my personal satisfaction but the riding is all that’s necessary.

All the things that I’ve had to prove are behind me, I no longer need to prove myself to myself and I am more relaxed. I’ll ride when I want to, ride short or longer distances if I want to, and not ride at all if I want to. The joys of riding are still there for me if I choose to experience them.

After all, that’s all that’s necessary.

.Post Script: Now, over six years later, I no longer ride and these memories that I have written about become even more valuable (to me) For those making memories, you will find that all of them, good and bad, will be treasures. I envy all of you. Ride Safe!

Wayne, solo1