A tribute to my wife

[solo1]

Today, November 11, 2018 would've been 63 years of marriage to my wife but, instead we only made 46 before she passed. Every year, I post a little story about her ,not to entertain exactly, but to remind myself that we had a good marriage.  I wrote this story in 2007 in the midst of PMS . At that time Phyl had been gone only 5 years. Since then, the memories have lingered on.  When I think of her, invariably I also think of the Valkyrie that gave me aid in smoothing out the loss of my wife.

This little story is not your usual ride account. However, it will tell you why my name is/was Solo1


In My Mind

I look out the window and all in  view is a bleak Indiana winter landscape.  Even though the winter is still in its infancy, it is a grownup in its intensity.   The streets are covered in ice, the wind is blowing, the thermometer hasn’t made up its mind as to whether it should go up or down. and its not a fit day to be out.
The Valkyrie is hibernating for now with a battery charger ensuring a steady stream of electrons for the day that the Valk is called upon to awaken.  For now, the Valkyrie is content to rest.

Rest is also what I should do.  However, I cannot.  My mind is restless.  I wonder, could it be possible to go back in time and relive events of my youth  but change my personal history to better suit my dreams.  Yes, it is possible. In My Mind.

It is the summer of 1956.  I am on my Valkyrie, Emanuel.  My dear wife, Phyl, is once more with me, her with the wonderful blue eyes, freckles, and youthful figure is on the back hugging my waist.  I am no longer Solo 1 for, you see, my wife is riding with me.  Gone are all her ills that troubled her in later years, gone are all her inhibitions about riding ,  and she is once again the youthful girl and love of my life.  As if that’s not enough,  I also have enjoyed a magic transformation.   My knees once again do my bidding, my wrists are pain free, and all the anxieties and depression of my later years have disappeared as I  return to the joy of being 27 again.  In My Mind.

The Valkyrie senses our mood.  The chrome adorned flat six engine rumbles contentedly as we motor east on Highway 2 along the north shore of Lake Michigan.   The weather is perfect, not a cloud in the sky with a temperature of 70 degrees and a cooling  breeze blowing onshore from the south.  We are riding past a long stretch of sand dunes between the lake and gently undulating highway Two.  There are occasional tendrils of sand intruding on the road but they present no problems to my  reacquired  youthful confidence and skill.  The deep blue waters of Lake Michigan beckons but our thirst for contentment is satisfied by the heady aroma of  pine trees ,  the wind past our bodies, and the willingness of the steed under us to do our bidding.  In My Mind.

The wonderful purr of the flat six engine is both reassuring and soporific and the combination of both feelings creates a sense of appeasement,  In My Mind.

We continue on.  Ahead is a series of curves, unusual for this highway.  However,  Emanuel is up to the task and so am I.  The purring rumble of the Valk approaches a snarl as I downshift and twist the throttle as we enter the curves, my wife holding me ever tighter but welcoming the rush.  We continue on, the Valks engine settling back to a quiet rumble once again.  We are enjoying the rhythm of the road with the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan to our right. Soon, too soon, we are through the curves and  ahead on our right, we can see Big Mac beckoning to us.  This graceful and beautiful six mile long bridge over the straits, bridging the gap between the lower and the upper peninsula of the Wolverine state and with the Great Lake of Huron on one side and the Great Lake of Michigan on the other, has always been a welcome sight.  The ride marked by an absence of  other vehicles, has been rewarding.  The memories, newly minted, are exquisite but bittersweet.  Overall a joyful experience.   In My Mind.

The Mind is a wonderful gift and it can uplift us even in the bleakest times.

1. So all of you out there who are suffering from the effects of this, the Winter of 2007,  take a ride, take a trip, create good memories, and ponder on them,   

All this is possible, In YOUR Mind.

[97BLKVALK]

What a beautiful trip!  In my mind too.

Michael

[old2soon]

            In My Mind-at times anywho-I'm in my 20s and Still motocrossing.  Thanks Wayne!  RIDE SAFE.

[John Schmidt]

Wayne, thanks for the reminder of what the mind can do. Very touching, indeed. As a result, I too decided Rita and I should retrace our Canadian trip of 1994 in our minds and with a rather large photo album in hand. We climbed, we hiked, we explored, we shed some tears and we got married(2nd time for both). As before, marriage was performed by a female Blackfoot Tribal Judge using the Blackfoot ceremony, done in front of a waterfall at least a half mile off the highway. Rita got all teary eyed recalling when I stopped at a mountain meadow and cut a large wedding bouquet of mountain wildflowers for her. The next morning we headed for Canada....what a trip! Now when I watch the daily struggle, I'm so thankful we did a lot of traveling early on. That lively gal I had trouble keeping up with now can barely move on her own even with a walker, and never without me with her. Most of the time it's with a wheelchair but I still have to push her, barely has the strength to feed herself or raise off the commode. One day, even the difficult times will be retraced in my mind....and they will be missed.

We also traveled extensively on our '92 Wing with matching trailer, mentally retracing some of our trips out west, it felt good to have her back there and is sorely missed. I've been riding solo for 15 years now, it's OK I guess but it's not the same.

[Pappy!]

Glad to know I am not the only one that does this! Thanks!

[Serk]

Thank you for keeping her memory alive, and letting us share in it!

[Valkorado]

A fantastic story, painted into a beautiful picture and etched into memory!  It may have come from your minds eye, but your eternal love is obviously reality.   

[msb]

What a great post and wonderfully written story, and such a thoughtful way to remember your wife...thank you for sharing. 
Thankfully I am still living a similar story in real time, with my bride of 37 and counting years still with me on the majority of my rides... as she has been since the very first night we met.

[JimBob]

Thank you.
Although my wife and I are still riding (and hope to for a good number of years to come), it brings back memories of my best friend Bill and the airplane adventures we had.  Hurricane Katrina wrecked our airplanes, and Bill passed away on Veteran's Day weekend that same year.

[solo1]

John and others.

I remember when my wife was nearing the end of her two year journey of sickness.  Her pulmonologist had told her (and me) that she should be as active as she could.

Breakfast time. She wanted breakfast. I told her that the doc wanted her to fix her own breakfast.

She looked at me and batted those baby blues and said,  "But it taste so much better when you fix it for me"  .....................I did.

I had been had.

[John Schmidt]

John and others.

I remember when my wife was nearing the end of her two year journey of sickness.  Her pulmonologist had told her (and me) that she should be as active as she could.

Breakfast time. She wanted breakfast. I told her that the doc wanted her to fix her own breakfast.

She looked at me and batted those baby blues and said,  "But it taste so much better when you fix it for me"  .....................I did.

I had been had.

Oh brother, does that ever sound familiar!   

[F6TRVLR]

Wayne,

Thanks for the story, always enjoy them. Your sidecar is still with me and I enjoy it very much. Even my brother wants to ride it every so often. Has been in a few parades hauling some special person along the route. People want to know more about the bike and sidecar more than the passenger most of the time.  I will always leave the dragon on the side of it. Please don't stop adding to this board, we enjoy it!

Your friend,
Mike Hahn

[solo1]

Wayne,

Thanks for the story, always enjoy them. Your sidecar is still with me and I enjoy it very much. Even my brother wants to ride it every so often. Has been in a few parades hauling some special person along the route. People want to know more about the bike and sidecar more than the passenger most of the time.  I will always leave the dragon on the side of it. Please don't stop adding to this board, we enjoy it!

Your friend,
Mike Hahn

Thanks Mike.  I'm so glad that the Korean dragon is still on the 'chair'  and you are getting full satisfaction from the rig.  Too bad that we live so far away from each other, it would be nice to see the 'Dragon' again.

Wayne