I Crashed

 

I don't think this will buff out.

I crashed the MotoWriter Street Bob

Well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- if you ride motorcycles, it’s not a matter of if, but when, you will have a mishap. I’ve had my share over the years, but it’s been a long time since I’ve had anything serious happen… until a few nights ago. I was riding a road that I’ve ridden, probably a few dozen times, and I failed to heed the warnings. You see, there is one particular curve that, while it’s not crazy, it is dangerous enough that the county road department installed a sign warning “dangerous curve ahead” on the approach. If you’ve watched any of my earlier videos, you likely saw the one where I went into this exact curve in the least sexy way possible. It always has gravel in the apex… always. On this fateful night, there was no exception. 

An evening ride on a known road

I would venture to guess that, statistically, casually known roads are more dangerous to us than those that are brand new, or well known, to us. We tend to take it easier on roads that we're unfamiliar with, and get more relaxed on roads that we know (or think we know) well. It's the in-between roads though, that seem to be the ones that really get us in trouble. Those backroads that we know well enough to be comfortable on, but we don't ride on enough to be able to anticipate every curve. 

While taking an evening ride on one of those roads- one that I’ve ridden multiple times in the past, but is not one of my "regular" rides- I approached the aforementioned "dangerous curve." I was looking for the tell-tale signs of the ever-present gravel swath, but there was none… until suddenly, there was. I was over halfway through the curve, with a fair, but not too aggressive lean on the Dyna, when all of a sudden, a relatively thin (maybe 18” wide) swath of gravel appeared directly in front of me. It was laid out in the road, perfectly matching the exact line that I was in. I knew that going into the gravel would surely put me into the asphalt and high side me into the oncoming lane (I’ve seen enough crashes like this to know how that would play out- and the outcome of those were all bad), so I tried my best to apply enough brakes to get off the line I was on, which was heading toward my certain demise. 

I was able to successfully apply enough brake to stand the Dyna up and miss the majority of the gravel, but unfortunately for me, in doing so, it put me going across the center line and into the oncoming lane. By the grace of God, there was no one coming, so with everything I had, I tried to keep the Dyna off the shoulder, but the stock, single disc front brake on the 2011 FXDB simply wasn’t slowing me down enough and I inadvertently pushed a little too much on my rear pedal. Big mistake. The rear tire started to lock and before I could release and reapply the rear brake, I ran out of room on the road surface and the back of the bike started to slide sideways. The scoot first went down on the high side (that's the right side for those that don't know), sliding into the grass shoulder. Once in the grass, it slid a few feet before catching and high-siding, ejecting me off a few feet from my downed machine. I had enough wits about me to tuck my head in anticipation of the impact, and I landed hard on my back with my helmet barely tapping the hard, dry, grass covered, red clay ground. 

Body and bike

I stayed down for a second doing a mental assessment: wiggle my toes- check; move my fingers- check- breathing clear, in and out- check. I slowly stood up, checking myself for injuries and was feeling pretty good about my condition, until I got upright and could feel a warm wetness flushing down my back. I reached back and felt it- yep, it was wet. When I pulled my hand back, I could see it was covered in blood. Evidently, when I landed, I slid across something sharp that was embedded in the dirt and grass, because, as I would learn later, my back had a gash that was about 6-8 inches long running across at an angle with all of the other superficial scratches from the rocks in the dirt. 

The MotoWriter Dyna didn’t get out quite so lucky; the bars were bent, the fairing and clutch perch destroyed and there was fresh oil on the low side fork tube. Aside from that, the tank had some scratches on the low side and the H-D logo was ripped off. After manipulating the clutch lever back in place, I was able to start it, though. It fired up and ran fine. A Good Samaritan saw the aftermath of my self-induced mess and offered to help. Being a stubborn-ass man, I initially refused, but after he insisted that I wasn’t putting him out, I reluctantly agreed and he left to go get his truck.

I love the South

As I was waiting for him to come back, I was able to get the bike picked up and moved a little further down the ditch (I was trying to get it back on the road, but couldn’t). I called my wife, then the local sheriff’s department, to report the crash. A few other folks came by and checked on me, but I told them that I had some help coming, so they went on their way. A few minutes later, my new friend, who for the sake of his anonymity, I will call Mr. L, came back with a truck and trailer. 

South Mississippians are the best people I’ve ever met. This guy, who only knew me from the second that he saw my dumb self standing in the ditch with my busted motorcycle, generously offered to help me. Not only that, but once he got there with his truck and trailer, he offered to let me take the whole rig, so I could get the bike back home. Being that my back was as bloody as a horror film crime scene though, I respectfully declined and told him that I would ride with my wife in our car so I didn’t stain his seats with my ripped up back. Initially, Mr. L. offered to bring my bike back to his place until I could come get it because one of the tires on his trailer was in bad shape, but once my wife and the deputy got there, he could see that the pain was starting to set in, and offered to risk the tire and bring it all the way to my house, so I could rest and heal without having to worry about going out again to get the bike. To recap- this man was on his way home from work when he saw some random stranger, crashed into a ditch on his motorcycle. He offered… no, he insisted, to help the stranger, then he offered to let this complete stranger take his truck and trailer without knowing if it would ever be returned. Can you imagine what our world would be like, if everyone was as kind, generous and trusting as Mr. L.? 

No good deed

They say that no good deed goes unpunished, and about a mile away from my house, that rang true for Mr. L. The damn tire on his trailer blew out and completely came off the rim. Mr. L. was undeterred, though. I got out of my wife’s car to see what we needed to do, and he just waved me on and said he was going to run it on the rim until we got there; and run it on the rim, he did. We pulled the whole sad looking contraption, consisting of a busted up Harley-Davidson strapped to a trailer with one tire, into the driveway and Mr. L. helped me unload the MotoWriter Dyna off the trailer. I offered to replace the wheels on his trailer, but he adamantly refused, telling me that he had two new tires for the trailer at home, but he just had not put them on yet. I’m not sure if he was fibbing or not, but I told him that he could leave the trailer at my house and drop the tires off later, and I would get it all fixed back up for him. After all, it was, literally, the very least I could do. He reluctantly agreed, would only allow me to give him a sports drink for all his trouble, and then, after some polite conversation, he headed back home to his family and I went inside to let Mrs. MotoWriter get me fixed up.

Stubborn ass man

I mentioned before that I am stubborn. Well, as you can imagine, that means I opted not to go spend my evening at an emergency room. It turned out that, while it was pretty long, fairly deep, splayed open sort of wide and full of grass, dirt and debris, it was still just a cut across my back. While my wife was gathering up all of the necessary supplies, I checked my own vitals: breathing- still clear and full; blood pressure- understandably high; heart rate- a little elevated, but good; blood oxygen- 100%; and after going pee, I saw that I wasn’t passing any blood. For my limited medical knowledge gained from being a father of two rambunctious sons- I determined that the likelihood of my having any significant internal injuries was somewhat low. 

Mrs. MotoWriter did a great job, even if she did almost pass out twice. She got it cleaned up, closed up and bandaged, thanks to the advice and guidance from my youngest son, who just happens to be an EMT. I took some ibuprofen to help quell the pain, since it felt like Mike Tyson kidney punched me with all of his strength, and then I went to bed. I actually slept pretty decent, considering the circumstances. The next morning, however, my plans of getting up and going to work were dashed when I tried getting out of bed. I felt okay, but I was moving like Frankenstein’s monster. Everything hurt, so I messaged the boss and went back to bed. I had been trying to catch up on my writing, but alas, the bike wasn’t the only thing broken (I’m blaming everything on the Blue Super Moon)… my home internet also went out. We cancelled our satellite TV service when we got the fiber optic internet, so no internet meant no TV… which meant that I was given plenty of time to write, but I just couldn't upload it, so this story will be a few days old by the first time you get to read it.

Cuts heal and chicks dig scars

As I’ve learned so many times in the past, cuts heal and chicks dig scars; what is dented, can be fixed, what is broken, can be replaced. The most important takeaway here is the lesson learned. 

I was on a road that, from my own experience, has a dangerous curve and the most dangerous part of that curve for a motorcyclist is the ever present gravel that sits patiently on the blacktop, waiting for it’s next two-wheeled victim. I knew it was there… because it’s always there. Out of the dozens of times I’ve ridden this road, I can only remember once, maybe twice, where the surface was clear. That is on me. As a certified motorcycle operator and motorcycle instructor, I know that when the rear brake starts to lock, I’m supposed to release to rolling friction until I regain control. In this particular situation, mid curve with inadequate braking ability and very little real estate to operate in, I was unfortunately doomed to my fate, because I simply ran out of room. The best I could hope to accomplish, with what I had to work with, was to mitigate the damage as best as possible, which I did. This crash could have been much, much worse. But, this crash could have also been avoided altogether.

I’m not as young as I used to be, so I know that I’m going to be feeling this one for a while, even after the cut heals and Tyson’s bruising goes away. I’m just thankful that I was able to use the training that I have to minimize the overall damage… to the bike, but mostly to me. Mrs. MotoWriter would never forgive me if I went for a ride and didn’t come back. I’m also thankful for good, truly good, samaritans like Mr. L. I’m grateful for his help and generosity and I’m proud to say that I know him- he’s a good man. People like Mr. L. really help restore a person's faith in humanity.

My biggest regret in this whole situation is that I failed to use my own experience to avoid this whole damn situation. I knew the dangers and ignored them. The best I can hope for going forward is, that I learn from this hard lesson and, maybe you can learn something from my mistake, too. 

Until next time, MotoReaders, please ride safe.

It's not as bad as it could be, but it's going to be down for repairs for a little while.

The bars, forks and my newly installed (and recently painted to match) fairing are all shot.

I'm alive, I'm in one piece and I'm in good spirits.
Thanks to the awesome folks at Go Fast Don't Die for such a great shirt, and thanks to all of my loyal MotoReaders for reading my stories.

Want your own collection of cool, Go Fast Don't Die apparel? Check them out by clicking here. Tell 'em that The MotoWriter sent ya!  

Work for it

Work For It

Ferry to Logtown, MS, circa 1900's

You gotta do more than just want it

Do you want something? It really doesn't matter what it is you want- be it a successful career, a happy relationship, a new motorcycle, or maybe a whole new life. Whatever it is you are seeking, though- you can want it all you want, but wanting it simply isn't enough.

You have to work for it

Nothing gained is ever given. You either have to buy it (if you can), steal it (if you dare) or earn it. No matter which path of acquisition you take though, when it all comes down to it- you still have to work for it in some way or another.

Want to buy it? Well, you have to earn the money to buy it, if that is, it is something that even can be bought.

Want to steal it? Again, you are going to have to figure out how you can steal it and get away with it, if it is something that even can be stolen. Not to mention, if you get caught stealing it, chances are you're going to lose it and you’re still going to end up having to pay for it.

But if you earn it... well, that is something truly special, because when you earn it, no one can take it away from you. The trick is, though… once you have it, you have to keep earning it. You have to work to keep it, or risk having someone else that wants it more than you, taking it from you.

When I was a kid, my dad would say “wish in one hand and shit in the other, and see which one gets filled up first.” Yeah, it was a crude way of saying that sitting around wishing for something to happen was a silly waste of time, but the point was made, regardless. Over time, when my kids would tell their paw-paw they wished for something, he shortened it up to “wish in one hand” then he’d grin at me and let me explain it to them. No matter how crudely the message was delivered though, the point was clear and true- sitting around wishing for something to happen is a waste of valuable time; time that could, instead, be used for working toward making it happen. 

Logtown, MS

The photo above shows a ferry crossing the Pearl River on the South Mississippi/ South Louisiana line. I like the photo for this piece for a few reasons- 1. It shows that, all the way back around 1919 or so, motorcycles were an integral part of the southern landscape (as they still are today); 2. The tenacity of the people back in pre-war America was undisputed; and 3. The ferry is crossing to a town that no longer exists. I’d be willing to bet that few people know the history of Logtown, MS, so I’ll drop a couple of links for you here and here (the second link has some great photos). The short story is, the town, which once thrived as a primary lumber supplier for the region, dwindled over the years until it was finally taken by the U.S. government, because of it’s location in, what would later become, the buffer zone of NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center.

You may be asking, what does a Mississippi ghost town have to do with working for something? It’s simple- Logtown’s success began to falter because the community couldn’t, or wouldn’t, sustain it. The sawmills went out of business, one by one, until there was only one left. The surviving mill provided the majority of jobs for the residents there and, when it finally closed down, the town rapidly fell apart, I would imagine that in no small part, due to it’s location. It was fairly isolated, as you will see if you ever decide to take a road trip to the area. By the 1960’s, only around 250 people remained in the small town. There was no other significant industry and the geographic location of the town along the banks of the Pearl River, while ideal for the logging industry, was less appealing to other commerce. Logtown was just as the name implies- a log town. Without logging, there was no Logtown. You see, the founders of Logtown were too short-sighted. They didn’t work toward building a town, they only worked toward building a community that supported their businesses. There was no ambition to found a new city, so there was no effort to try to save it when the businesses closed. Logtown was little more than a “company town.” The only roads in and out existed to support the industry, there were no efforts to draw in visitors or tourists, the local school only offered classes up to the 8th grade and all higher grade students had to be bussed to “nearby” Bay St. Louis (which was several miles away, on the other side of the county). 

By the time NASA began to move into the area in the 1960’s, the government bought out the remaining 250 or so residents of Logtown and the town was officially abandoned, leaving little more than a few remnants of what remained and a single cemetery that still exists today. You see, NASA, or rather, the U.S. government, wanted the small town more than the founders and residents of the town did… so they used what they had- the ability to buy it.

If you’re a local to the Gulf Coast, can you imagine if the founders of the town had worked to keep Logtown and worked to establish it as a prominent city on the Coast? I wonder how much the coastal landscape would have been different than it is today? NASA would have moved their site further north along the river to adjust the buffer zone? Perhaps western Hancock County would have been more developed, with a thriving city, neighborhoods, businesses or shopping malls? I suppose no one knows what could have been, but one thing is certain, no one fought to keep the town, so it’s obvious that one one wanted it enough to put in the work to keep it.

Motorcycles, relationships and promotions

I fancy myself a writer (albeit, not a very good one), and sometimes, a story teller, so maybe my analogies aren’t always as easy to relate to as I’d like them to be. As such, I get that the example of Logtown might not be the one that rings your bell, so I’ll go for the easy three:

• Motorcycles, 
• Relationships
• Promotions

These should be easy. If you haven’t figured this out yet, I love motorcycles- new, old, big, small… if it has two wheels, I’m interested. For me, while I have some great bikes that I’m really happy with, I’m also always interested in adding to the collection when the right one comes along. As with every bike I have, and used to have, I had to work for it. Wanting it wasn’t enough- no, no. I had to work for it. When I bought the Road King, I had to commit to working to keep it, every month, for the term of the loan (it was, after all, the most expensive motorcycle that I’ve bought to date). No work + no pay = no motorcycle. For my Dyna, while it was significantly less expensive than the Road King, it also didn’t run, was rusty, crusty, corroded in all the wrong places and generally looked like it had been hit with a bag of turds. I had to work to get it back on the road, to make it look good and to make it run, reliably, every time I got on it. Having it on the lift and “wanting” it to run, wasn’t going to cut it (and paying someone for something I can do myself, simply isn’t ever an option).

Relationships. Relationships require constant work. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone who has been married for more than a few years. I would venture to bet that they will all tell you the same thing- it takes work, a lot of work, as a matter of fact. Through the years, as things change, as people come and go in your lives, as financial burdens come and (hesitantly) go, as temptations emerge from, and fade into, the shadows… you have to work to remain faithful, frugal, strong, vulnerable, tender and tough. You have to focus, and refocus, through the years in order to survive the burdens of time. The reward is a strong, loving relationship with someone with whom you share history with. With someone who understands why you are the way you are, and who helps you to be a better person every day. There are few things better than being in a good relationship.

Promotions should be the easiest of all three, to explain the concept of working for it. If you want a job, you have to go through some process of getting it… that takes work. You may need a special education, or training… these take work. Once you get the job, you have to work to keep it. You can’t clock in every day, sit on your ass and do nothing, and expect to not get fired. No, you have to do the job they are paying you to do. What’s next? Do you want to promote? Of course you do! Maybe you want to be promoted to supervisor? Or perhaps, you want to be over a special division, project, unit or team? Promotions and advancements are competitive and “wanting it” is equal to my dad’s analogy for wishing. You can want it until you’re blue in the face, but as long as there is someone else willing to work, or work harder than you, for it… that person is going to be the one chosen over you. Now, of course, this may not always be the case, after all, some good ass-kissing to the right people might give someone an edge in the right (or wrong) place of business, but when they get their  brown-nose in the position and ultimately fail, it will just be a matter of time before they are kicked out, demoted or maybe even fired, and the hard worker put in their place. The reason is simple- the machine has to work and if the machine doesn’t work, someone is going to be held accountable for the losses. If you are the worker- the one who passes up the opportunity to drink coffee with the boss or tell him/her that their necktie really brings out the color in their eyes, in order to get the job done and keep the machine running, then you will be the asset, and the brown-nose will be the ass.

I hope this helps

I genuinely hope this helps someone out there to re-focus, re-energize and get to work on making their dreams come true. My dad taught me at a young age to work. He taught me the importance of working on my own cars (and later motorcycles), he taught me how to make household repairs and renovations- fix plumbing, electrical, sheetrock (which I still hate) and build sheds. I learned how to keep what I had running, and in my adult life, I learned how to maintain my home and my marriage, be a good husband and try to be a good father. Each generation wants to make life a little easier for their kids, but the disservice is, that each generation will raise their kids to become more reliant on other people until there is no one out there that can do anything for themselves. I tried to raise my kids with the same values and lessons that I was blessed with as a kid… and from what I’ve seen so far, those lessons seem to be sticking. I’m also really glad that they didn’t actually poop in their hands while making a wish.

Ride safe and make good choices, MotoReaders and remember, to wish in one hand, and work hard with the other.

Hyenas need love too

A while back, I made a comment at work that garnered quite the response. In a, perhaps not so common, conversation about people and their importance in this world, I made the observation that everyone is special, to someone. While that may not have been an interesting enough comment to be the basis for a blog post, what followed next, certainly was. One of my sharp witted and borderline cynical co-workers challenged my, very generic and ubiquitously bland, comment so I simply replied with the observation that, "even a little orphaned kid in Kenya is important to the hyenas."

Yep. I said that. 

Now, before you allow complete and utter repulsion to set in, allow me to elabortate...

You see, despite what we tell ourselves about how advanced of a species we are and regardless of how we groom, dress, live and even die, we are all still just creatures in nature. We are all still links in the natural food chain of the world. We are simply meat, blood and bones and if you don't believe that, then I'm sorry to be the one to inform you that grizzly bears, great white sharks, tigers and Jeffrey Dahmer would strongly disagree. You don't have to like it, but truth and reality do not require our permission.

So yeah, everybody is special...to somebody... even if that "somebody" happens to be a hungry animal trying to survive another day in the wild. 

With that observation made... and for anyone still reading... I offer this- what makes us think that we are better than the ferocious carnivores that we share this earth with? Is it because we are super smart and we build things? Maybe it's because we live in houses or drive cars? Perhaps it's because we groom ourselves, shave our body hair or buy our food from a store? But, not all those things apply to every human, do they? Is it because we are sentient creatures? Creatures of thought, memory, emotion and intellect? There are a lot of creatures in God's world that are capable of, and possess, those same traits. 

It's all about perception and perspective. Hyenas hunt and kill the weakest prey they can find... be it a slow running wildabeast, or an orphan kid from a local village. They don't distinguish one from the other. They aren't psychopathic monsters.  They are just ornery dogs with really bad posture that are hungry and trying to survive. What they kill and eat is not relevant to them... it's just meat, blood and bones that contain life sustaining nutrients. Our perception is what is different. A fellow human that is killed and eaten by wild animals is more offensive to us than an animal being killed and eaten. Hell, we even have weird perceptions about what we kill and eat. Think about it- some people are offended about other people eating cows and pigs. 

Like I said- perception and perspective. Animals don't know the differences because they don't have any pre-conceived, or self-taught perceptions on what is, and what is not, okay to have for dinner. We do. For example- Dahmer knew better. He knew he wasn't supposed to kill and eat people... civilized society told him not to, but he did it anyway because he was crazy. But the hyenas and other wild animals don't live in a civilized society and they aren't taught which animals to kill and eat, and which ones not to.

Civilized society is what makes us special- not our cars, houses, clothes, grooming habits, jobs, tech or anything else. Civilization is the key. What makes us civilized is how we treat each other. Treating other people with respect, compassion, empathy and kindness is what makes us civilized. Turn on the local news for ten minutes and you can quickly see that our society is on the verge of losing it's cvilization. People are victimizing each other over some of the dumbest shit. We kill each other over nothing... and we act as if we are better than the wild animals. I don't know about you, but I never heard of a great white shark attacking and killing another shark over "territory" and I've never heard of a mama grizzly bear attacking or killing her own cubs, but I've seen that kind of stuff more than I care to admit within our so-called civilized society. With that said, though... it's not all grim. Bears, sharks, tigers and hyena's don't give their own blood to help others; they don't gather and share food for those among them that can't; they don't have creatures among them whose sole purpose it to protect the weakest among them, or die trying, from those that wish to do them harm. So in that sense, we as a society, are special.

When you look out at your neighbors, friends, co-workers and even the strangers walking along the street- be civilized. Treat each other well. Stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves and remember that everyone is dealing with their own struggles. You might be the person who changes someone else's attitude. I know it sounds cliche, but how hard is it to practice a little kindness? It doesn't cost you anything to tell someone to have a good day, or to wish them safe travels. It doesn't even take that much time out of your life. When you're in the checkout line at the grocery store, what's the harm in telling the cashier thanks for what they do? Maybe tell the kid sweeping the floor or cleaning up a mess that you appreciate what he's doing... does it hurt, or does it make him feel appreciated for an otherwise thankless job? 

Simple kindness is all that I'm talking about. Small, effortless acts that cost you nothing but pay you back in dividends. What makes you special is how you treat people. If you're known for being a selfish jerk, then you might just be left all alone when you're at your weakest, left to defend yourself against the hyenas of the world that are only looking at you for the sustainance that they can get from you, before they leave you for dead... figuratively or literally.

Be kind. Be good. Be civilized.

Ride safe, make good choices and most of all... be a good person.

Let's talk...

Hello MotoReaders!

Hey folks, I want to apologize for my absense lately- when I realized that it had been almost two months since my last post, I knew I had to write something and write it quick. Not to make any excuses, but as many of you know, writing this blog and writing the occasional piece for H-D Forums, does not pay my bills. Actually, if anything, the few bucks a year that I do happen to make from writing slideshows for the forums just barely offsets my cost to maintain this blog site. But, my point is that I have a 40+ hour a week "regular" job that demands the majority of my time and lately, it has been very demanding. 

Let's be clear on something- I don't want your money.

It seems like everything we encounter these days is just a ploy to get into our wallets. It aggravates me to no end that I can't even answer my phone without having some jackass on the other end trying to sell me something or steal my info so that they can drain what little I have in my bank account. Just getting on the internet for five minutes exposes us to a constant barrage of advertising and click bait. Seriously, how many times have you seen this picture with the caption "20 unbelievable vintage photos - number 19 will blow you away!" You click the link to see who the chick is and it's a slideshow with so many ads on each page that it takes a half hour to get through the whole damn article, only to find that they never even showed the picture of the girl, much less identified her! Honestly, it's enough to drive you insane. Truth be known, that's why I don't write more than I do for H-D Forums- the only assignments I get from them are slideshows. By the way- the picture of the girl is, from the very brief research I've done, taken from a postcard from the Phillipines from the 19th Century.... there ya go, no need to click on that one ever again. 

You may be wondering, then, if I don't want your money, why do I have a Patreon site? Simple- why not? Look, truth be known, I've seen a lot of folks making YouTube videos, writing blogs and making a living off of their content. When Google first sent me the email telling me that my blog was "eligible for Adsense"... I got a little caught up in the moment and signed up for it. I figured, what the hell, I can let a few advertisers put some ads on my page... my readers can decide if they want to click or not. Before my site had generated enough for me to actually get a check though- Google closed my account. That little setback frustrated me, but in my aggravation, I had an epiphany- my readers don't come to my blog so that they can get bombarded with ads about gross hygeine products, computer virus software or rain gutters- they come here to read about motorcycles, life and finding happiness in the simple things. 

I signed up for Patreon so that if someone likes my site enough that they want to help me keep it up and running, they can have a safe way to do it that is legal, easy and most of all- OPTIONAL. Look, I can't stand watching a YouTube video and having to sit through 5 minutes of commercials... if I wanted to see frickin' commercials- I'd watch television! So, as long as I can do it, my content will always remain ad-free and it won't cost you anything to enjoy. But, if you want to help me keep it going, I'll try to do my part to give you a little something as a thank you for your support. I started this blog site so that I could write about the things I wanted to write about, without being dictated by someone holding a paycheck over my head.

So, where've I been lately? 

I've been busy at my regular job and, when I get home, I've been riding as much as I possibly can. With the Autumn weather slowly moving in, as soon as I get home from work, I get on the bike to get a few miles of mototherapy before dinner. With my current schedule, I don't get to ride as much as I used to, so I try to get in the wind every chance I get. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen that I've posted a couple of short Reels to let you know I'm still here. On top of work stuff keeping me occupied, I've also had a lot of family stuff going on lately that has really been weighing heavy on my heart and that, of course, has zapped my creativity. I started writing my first installment of "Tales from the Asphalt" a while back and then just lost all interest in finishing it. I'm still not sure if I'm going to, after all, my "Bike of the Month" feature fell flat on it's face after just a few months, so my "feature" ideas are just sort of simmering on the back burner for now.

 

And what about the swag?

This is one idea that I had
(please don't steal it)

This is another one
 (again, please don't steal it)

You may be wondering, what ever happened to the swag that I was having made? Well, I'm still working on that. I was talking to some friends about having some shirts and some decals made up from a couple of designs that I came up with, but it just didn't work out (for a few different reasons). I decided to pump the brakes on that stuff for now and re-focus on establishing some semblance of a real logo, not just some crap that I sketched out on a notebook on my lunchbreak one day. After all, if I'm going to do this, I want to do it right. My niece is a talented graphic designer and I'm enlisting her help in coming up with something fun and cool for me. I suppose that we'll just have to see what happens after that. Currently, everything that I've done as "the MotoWriter" has cost me money, so it's tough to justify making another investment into t-shirts, decals, pins or patches. T-shirts are especially tricky, because I'll have to order a bunch, in a variety of sizes, for anyone that might actually want one. If I do get any "patrons" to my Patreon site, maybe I can offset some of the cost with that. If not, the swag idea may end up falling to the wayside like my other ideas have. I really hope not, though... because I like to look at the "stats" of my website to see where everyone is visiting from and it's pretty damn cool to see that there are readers from, literally, all over the world that are visiting my little corner of the world wide web and I'd love to be able to send y'all a little something to wear while you're out riding or to stick on your helmets, windows or back fenders of your bikes. 

Thanks for your continued support, even though I don’t show you any boobs.

To be completely honest, I have never really considered myself a "writer," not by any means. I'm an overthinker and, for lack of better terminology- "an observer of the world". As I see different things, have different interactions with people or have new experiences, I get ideas- ideas for stories, advice or insights and, I just seem to have a knack for articulating those ideas into the written word. Ironically, my half-ass ability to manipulate the English language into something, even slightly, interesting to read has been revealed to me at a time when videos and pictures reign supreme and words are nearly dead. I suppose if I started each one of my YouTube videos (which are few) with a short video intro of a girl with big boobs about to lose her modesty on camera, I’d have a much more popular channel. I saw a video in the last month or so, about some kind of motorcycle upgrade and it was so gratuitously sexualized that I had to turn it off. Look, I’m not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but come on, is your motorcycle content really so crappy that you have to turn it into soft-core porn in order to get people to watch? Well, actually, disregard that question because the video of the well-endowed woman that didn’t seem to know the difference between a box-end and a crescent wrench that was fumbling around a motorcycle, had tens of thousands of views compared to my best performing video, so I suppose the joke’s on me. Sex sells, but modesty and morality will get you into heaven, and I’ll take the latter because it lasts longer. 

Look, I know that I may have missed my “ideal time” to explore this idea of being a writer, but it’s pretty encouraging to see all of you clicking over to my site to see what I have to say, and doing it without the promise of seeing some skin. That tells me that you guys are more than just the conditioned sheep that are led by photographic pheromones, but you are true intellectual motorcycle enthusiasts. In other words- you are my people and I’m proud to be your writer. I've always believed that the motorcycle community is vast, supportive and universal and you, my readers, prove that to me every time that I log in to my computer and I see that you’re still there, even when I haven’t been.

I really appreciate all of the support and site visits, more than you can know. It's honestly a little overwhelming for me to look and see that the MotoWriter site has had over 22 thousand site visits in just over a year of being active on the interweb, and that it has reached countries big and small, literally, all across the globe. I’m a very humble person, by nature… I always have been, so when I see so much interest in my words and commentaries, it’s a little bit shocking. So, thank you. Thank you for taking the time, your time, to read my blog and thank you for checking in. I’ll try to do a better job of keeping new stuff coming, and coming more frequently. 

Till next time, ride safe and make good choices!

Lake of Life

Life and... a lake?

Life is weird, man. Seriously. It's like living on the edge of a lake and each event that happens is like a stone being dropped in the water.  Calm can be found, but it never seems to last very long. Most things are like small pebbles, leaving little ripples that fade quickly. Others though, feel like boulders, smashing into the surface with such force that the waves crash into the bank, causing permanent and lasting damage.

Some stones are the ones that we throw in, others seem to fall right from the sky. We control a lot of them, but some are completely out of our control. Those always seem to be the biggest of them- those life altering, long lasting, painful events. Things like, losing someone close to you. Or watching someone you love throw their life away making stupid decisions, or maybe just choosing to be miserable in order to make someone else happy. Sometimes we make poor financial decisions, or we lose ourselves in our own stubborn selfishness, and we end up missing out on great opportunities for happiness.

A Grand Design and the Rule of Threes

I'd like to think that the whole lake analogy is actually part of some grand design that I happened to stumble on and that by recognizing it, I can somehow figure out how to keep those lake waters of my own life as calm as possible. But let's be honest, recognizing the similarities just makes it harder to control. I mean, let's think about this for a second- for the past twenty years I've worked in, let's call it, a customer service field. I've seen, first-hand, the affects of the full moon on the public at-large. In my observations during these past two decades, I've seen people become more and more obnoxious during the ole waxing gibbous (as it's known by smarter people than me). It seems that during the week before a full moon, people just embrace being rude, driving more aggressively, losing control of their emotions and acting on impulse. This all may sound crazy to some, but I consider myself to be a casual observer of our society and I take notice of things like this. I'm not special, not by any means, I just happened to start noticing the patterns a long time ago, then spent the next several years taking mental notes of it. But even though I make a point to recognize the signs of the impending lunar cycle, I often find myself falling victim to its affects... until I catch myself that is. Of course, by that time, I've usually already done something stupid.

 

And what about the rule of three? You know, if something happens, it usually happens in threes- accidents, illnesses or even deaths. I've seen proof of that too, but I won't get into those details just yet. These are weird observations, I know, but bear with me for just a little longer. My point is, that even though we may recognize the patterns, we often don't (or can't) avoid what happens next.

We can't control everything

No matter how hard we try, we can't control everything. So, if our lives are like the waters of a lake, and the events that happen to us are like rocks of varying sizes being tossed in, how can we mitigate the damage from the biggest stones? How do we deal with the lasting affects of those big waves coming in, hitting us over and over? 

I don't know. We just do. When someone we love dies, that's a big stone. We will usually get those first few waves, the biggest of them, right at first. But then, after some time has passed and we think our hearts are finally healing, when we are sure that the waves of that event have all finally passed, we are hit with another wave of emotion when we are least expecting it and we have to face that pain all over again. But with each wave, the severity seems to lessen, and the hurt seems to not last as long. And this cycle continues, over and over, until we are finally okay. 

The big one is coming

So, how do we deal with it? With time, patience and preparation. Time heals all wounds, as most of us have been told. As we hurt, we heal. We begin the process of rebuilding what has been damaged and we build it stronger so that it can hold up, hopefully a little better, for the next big wave that is coming. 

It's also important to remember that we can control some things though- things like, how many of those stones we throw into our own calm waters; how we prepare for the big stones when they hit; and, understanding that, no matter what we do, those big ones are going to hit eventually. 

Preparation

Trying to prepare for life's unexpected events seems like it could be one of the most perfectly paradoxical conundrums we face. After all, how does one go about expecting the unexpected... it is by definition... not expected! But, I assure you, by taking small steps in preparation for big events, you can actually mitigate the confusion and frustration when the proverbial shit hits the fan. 

For example, several years ago, my wife and I started thinking about the "what ifs" of our own lives. So, in an effort to be more responsible parents, we made some grown-up decisions and started having those difficult conversations. During those talks, we figured out that we needed more insurance, we needed wills and we needed to establish our final wishes. I know it seems terribly dark and morbid, but having those hard talks when we did, allowed us to have the peace of mind of knowing that we won't have to deal with that stuff when the time comes. After all, it's a helluva lot easier to make those decisions together when your minds are clear and your hearts aren't hurting, than it is when you're heartbroken and can't think clearly. A little bit of preparation can go a long way... I've seen that first-hand, too. 

Prevention

We can also control how many stones we throw in our own calm waters. We need to recognize that if things are calm, we don't have to kick the top off of the anthill. We can let it be calm and actually enjoy those moments of peace and happiness. We can take the time to enjoy the calm, the peace, the laughter and the good times. Breaking out of the analogy for a minute and speaking literally- stop stirring up shit in your life. Don't talk about people behind their backs, be happy for other people when they succeed and help them when they need a hand. Don't start drama. Don't get involved in someone else's drama. Find joy in the moment and don't take the things that are most precious to you for granted. Be bold and be confident. Be bold enough to start your own business or be content working for someone else, but either way, be happy with your decision to do either. Be confident enough in yourself to make a big decision and be flexible enough that if you don't like what you chose, to choose something else.

We can't control what happens, but we can control how we deal with it, when it does. 

Find happiness now

It's also important to find happiness now. Don't wait until tomorrow, next week or next year. Find something that brings you joy and peace, and find it now. Remember also, that while it's important to be able to share that thing, whatever it may be, with those you love, it's just as (or even more) important that you are able to enjoy it when you're all alone, too. 

For me, as many of my friends and family know, I've found happiness in motorcycling. Not just riding them, but working on them, researching and learning about them and writing about them. I know that may sound superficial to some people, but it's a fun hobby for me. Sure, I enjoy other things, too... but for now, right now at this time in my life, I'm exploiting my love of motorcycles for all it's worth while I still can. I share my passion with my friends and family (even those that don't ride), but I also enjoy slipping out to the garage and turning wrenches in solitude and going on solo motorcycle camping trips in the mountains, too. 

I encourage each of you to find something that brings you happiness. Whether it's motorcycling, bicycling, fishing, hunting, hiking, or just watching the world go by. Find something that makes you happy and that you can do alone and with your loved ones and start doing it now. As my wife wisely noted recently- don't wait to eat off the fine china or drink out of the heirloom crystal, do it now while you can still enjoy it. Buy the motorcycle, that new putter or that dress you've been eyeing. Open that special bottle of bourbon or wine that you've been saving for some "special occasion" and let yourself enjoy it now, because TODAY IS THAT SPECIAL OCCASION... you woke up and you were blessed with another day of life and there are a lot of people who didn't get that same gift.  

Don't wait until the next big stone drops into your lake before you start enjoying your life. 

Do you want to see your bike featured as the MotoWriter's Bike of the Month? Email me in your high-res photos and your personal motorcycle story to me and, if I pick your bike, not only will you get some pretty rad bragging rights, but you'll also receive a small bit of swag to show off your support of the MotoWriter! Thanks for all your support!

Be a good person

Toxic people

We all have toxic people in our lives, but we don't always recognize who they are until after they've poisoned us. If you are reading this and you think it's written about you, then you may very well be the toxic person in someone else's life. Don't worry, if it is you, then keep reading and I'll try to give you some tips on how to change and be a better person.

Recognizing the toxicity

This seems like it would be fairly easy to do, but unfortunately, people aren't always toxic from the start, some become that way over time. What causes someone to become a poisonous influence? It could be any number of things- a shitty home life, a bad marriage, being unhappy at work, being unhappy about how they look or how their own level of success compares to others or maybe even just a lack of healthy hobbies. Regardless of what made, or makes, them this way- what matters most is that you recognize what they are, instead of why they are that way. You can't fix a miserable person that doesn't want to be fixed, you'll just get poisoned by their negativity.

If you're the person who has become envenomed, then it's your job to figure out why you are this way and to fix it. You need to fix your own problems and stop spreading your necrosis to others.

The easiest way to recognize a toxic person is to just listen to them for a few minutes. Are they always bitching? Are they the person that gets everything they want, but complain that it's not enough? Do they hurl insults at you when you are happy or if something positive happens to you? They are typically the person that, when you get a new motorcycle, they say something like "it must be nice to be able to afford that" or if you get a promotion at work they say "how much ass did you have to kiss for that?" Sound familiar? 

You can also recognize these venomous malefactors by the way that they interact with you and when. For example- when you don't hear from someone for months or longer and they send you a text or call you and ask you to help them do something. You, being the good person you are, agree to help them and once the task is complete, they disappear from your life once again. Those should be easy enough to recognize, but we often fail to see them as toxic, because they are so nice and appreciative when you're helping them, that you actually believe that you are friends. 

Toxic people also love to insult you behind your back- some even do it right to your face, but because you have mistaken them for friends, you just figure it's friendly banter. They will take your words, twist them to fit their vindictive narrative, then play the victim when they get caught up in their own web of drama. They live in drama and thrive in their own self absorption. 

Still not sure how to recognize them? Look for the perpetual victims in your life. Whatever misfortune may befall them, it is never their fault. Toxic people never take responsibility for their own mistakes or failures. They also never thank the ones that help them succeed at something.

Misery loves company

Toxic people thrive in animosity, doubt, loathing, anger and jealousy. They are bitter and angry and their bitterness can only be quelled by bringing other people down and making them miserable with them. They can't be satisfied until everyone around them is swimming in their pit of despair. They love to bring others down. Do you remember the character from the early 2000's Saturday Night Live skits, Debbie Downer? Yeah... that character, while she may have been played on TV by the comedic actress, Rachel Dratch, is actually a real live person that you know and is in your life, right now. Are you having a great day at the park? Don't worry, Debbie Downer will come in and tell you all about how the park was built using money that was supposed to go to building a new children's hospital. Oh what's that, did you get a new car? Oh, here comes D.D. to tell you how her car broke down and she can't afford to repair it (even though she just spent that same amount of money on a new necklace for her dog). What's that, you say you are getting married? Well now, D.D. is on her way to tell you all about all of her failed relationships. 

Of course, the real life Debbie Downer isn't always a woman. No, no... sometimes Debbie Downer is actually Donald Downer. That's right, anyone can be a Downer for the low, low price of your happiness. And they will take your happiness. They will call you a "company man" if you get promoted, or say that you are "drinking the kool-aid" if you find any happiness at work. They will try to humiliate you if you are feeling good about yourself and will insult you and call it "teasing." They want what you have- your happiness, and they will stop at nothing to take it from you.

Be the antivenom

This is tricky, I won't lie. It's tricky because more than likely, you've read this post this far and said to yourself- "shit, that's me... I've done some of that stuff." If so, congratulations- you're well on your way to becoming the antivenom that you and others in your life need you to be.

Look, the bottom line is, we're all a little toxic. We have good days and we have shit days. Currently, as I write this, I'm going through one of the most difficult times of my life. I'm hurting and I don't like to hurt. But you know something? No matter how shitty I feel, I'm not going to do something or say something to bring someone else down or make them feel bad, not intentionally anyway.

So, what do you do if you are that toxic person in someone else's life? Here's some pro tips for you (don't worry, they are simple): 

• Don't be a dick.
• Think about other people and how they feel.
• Remember that the person you are being a shithead to, may be going through one of the worst times in their life, but you don't know about it because you have only been thinking about yourself.
• Stop thinking about yourself ALL OF THE TIME. 
• Be a better person.
• Do good things for other people without the expectation of getting something in return.
• Be a good person.
• Be honest.
• Be fair.
• Be selfless.
• Be helpful.
• Give truthful, genuine compliments.
• Be happy for other people when they have a good day.
• Be sympathetic.
• Be kind.
• Be supportive.
• Be nice.

It's okay to be upset if you don't win, get passed up for promotion, lose that sale or get overlooked for a job well done. It's okay to be annoyed that someone else got something that you wanted or you felt like you deserved. But, it's not okay to shit on their happiness. It's never okay to sabotage someone else's joy, peace or happiness, so don't do it. Ever. Be a better person, or be prepared to be a lonely, miserable person for a very long time.

Cut 'em loose

So what do you do if you have a toxic person in your life? Don't give them your time. As soon as you recognize it- call them out and remind them that they are being a dick. Tell them the truth and how they are making you feel. If they are truly your friend, they will understand and try to be better. If they don't- cut them loose and don't look back. There are good people out there that truly only want the best for you- those are your friends. You'll recognize them by the fact that you've been friends with them for years and they've never asked you for a single thing. They have asked you for nothing except your friendship. 

I would rather be alone than be with people that are constantly trying to bring me down or shit on my happiness. There have been times in my life that I have been able to count my friends on one hand and I'm okay with that. You should be too, because some of those people, who you consider to be your friends, are the same ones whose fingerprints are on the knife that's in your back. You don't need them in your life- so let them go be miserable in someone else's life.

Listen folks, being a good person isn't difficult. Too many people have forgotten how to live by the Golden Rule- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Maybe they got confused by the verbiage, so here it is, in plain terms: treat people like you want to be treated and don't be a dick.

Find joy and be happy

I'm not suggesting that we pretend our problems don't exist, far from it. I'm suggesting that we recognize our own deficiencies and we work on bettering ourselves and being better people to share the earth with. When you share in other people's happiness, you become happy; when you indulge someone in their misery, or worse- you spread your misery to someone else, everyone suffers. Do you want to be happy? Then be happy. Just don't shit on someone else's happiness, or one day, someone you think is your friend, might just shit on yours. 

As for me, I genuinely wish each of you happiness and joy, laughter and love, peace and comfort. May you all find true happiness that doesn't come at the cost of someone else's and of course... 

... ride safe and make good choices.

Written on 01/08/2021... before my world got a little darker.
Courage, Serenity & Wisdom forever. I love you dad.