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solo1
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« on: February 27, 2015, 02:00:21 PM » |
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Today I visited my friend of 67 years, Tom. Tom is in an assisted living apartment at Lutheran Life Villages in Ft. Wayne because he has mostly short term memory loss and could no longer live unassisted due to possible accidents.
We talked at length and slowly his memory of our motorcycling days came partially back. I helped him to remember that we both had identical British thumpers back in 1949. He finally said that riding was the best memory that he had, next to memories of his wife. I knew Tom has severe problems when he said that his sister is now living in his house. I did not tell him that his sister died some years ago. He also repeated 8 times that he walked in the halls of his new home for exercise. It was somewhat sad to hear his repetition.
I am indeed fortunate so far, to have escaped the mental ravages of advanced age and I was glad that I could help Tom restore some portion of his memories. I did write a short story about Tom 17 years ago when he was a co-rider for a short ride on the back of my Valkyrie. A lot of water over the dam since then.
Here it is.
I wrote this true story for the HSTA back in 1998. Little did I know that I would lose my wife four
years later.
A Ride For Tom
The other day I gave my old friend Tom a ride on the back of my Valkyrie. Tom and I go back a
long way, in fact, to 1948. For us those were the days of English motorcycles, tubed tires (tyres),
drum brakes, 20 horsepower thumpers and Lucas Electrics, the Prince of Darkness.
Tom and I owned identical 1946 Matchless 500cc singles. We rode them everywhere. However,
since both bikes were hardtails we generally didn't venture any farther than Brown County State
Park in Indiana, which for us flatlanders represented a good days ride. We often joined up with
our fellow "limey" bike riders who rode Triumphs, Nortons, AJS, and sometimes a BSA or
Panther.
Today, Tom and all the others no longer ride. Disinterest, age, and death have taken their toll
over the years. I'm the only one who still rides.
Two months ago, Tom lost his best friend, his wife, after a marriage of over 45 years. During that
time he never desired to ride. Losing his wife left a big void. A void that cannot be filled I
thought, but reminiscing might help.
A few weeks ago I offered Tom a ride and he accepted. The day arrived for riding, a perfect
Indiana day, low humidity, temperatures in the low 70's, and not a cloud in the sky. Tom arrived
at my home ready to go. After an absence of 50 years he climbed on the back of the Valkerie and
we were off! As a co-rider Tom fit like an old shoe. Once a rider, always a rider, you don't forget.
I won't bore you with all the details but we had a 35 mile ride traveling the same roads in
northeast Indiana that we had traveled so long ago on our British Thumpers but this time at a speed that allowed us to talk without the spit getting sucked out Obviously open face helmets and no intercom.
The smoothness, power, and ride of the Valkyrie contrasted greatly with Tom's memory of the
"Flying M". After all, six times the number of cylinders, better suspension, modern electronics, and better seats. However, nothing else had changed. The smell of the open road, the wind in your face, the feeling of freedom and peace, the banking in curves, it all came back to Tom and was the same as it was long ago in 1948.
I purposely kept the ride short and it was over too soon. Afterward, Tom had some problems
straightening his legs after getting off the Valk, but after all, 50 years is a long time and the so-
called "Golden Years" aren't all that easy.
Easy, however, was the reminiscing that we shared during the ride. It seemed to help Tom forget
some of his problems, at least temporarily. I know that for me this ride brought back many
motorcycling memories, and in the process enabled me to help my friend in a very small but
significant way..
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