Life is About Making Choices

Life is about making choices.

Last Saturday, when I woke up, I had to make a choice. The temps were only supposed to be in the 40's all day long, so I could stay at home where it was warm, and do one of those nasty 4 letter words "w-o-r-k" OR I could get on my bike and go to a bike scavenger hunt. I choose to go on the bike scavenger hunt.

Due to such a poor turnout, (the only bikers that showed up were a hand full of our club members) the organizers cancelled the event and decided to postpone it for one week. SO, our club members took a vote and decided that since we were already out on our bikes, we could all go back to our nice warm homes or we could go for a ride. We all choose to go for a ride.

That night, I choose to take off in my truck and drive all night, in order to pick up another Harley I just bought. I didn't make it back home until Sunday afternoon and as soon as I unloaded my new toy, I HAD to take it for a short ride.

Monday morning, while I was sipping on my morning coffee and trying to decide what I was going to do, another club member called me and asked me if I was going riding. SO, I choose to spend Monday out riding and enjoying my new TOY on a nice warm October day.

Tuesday morning, I decided to meet up with TWO other club members and go for a ride. That was a great choice and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the day, especially the good company, warm temps in the 70's and being able to ride my new toy.

Wednesday morning, I plan on meeting up with one, two or even three other club members and going for another ride. Then I imagine I will choose to join them and about a dozen other club members for supper and a good time at our regular Wed night meet-up.

Not sure what I will choose to do on Thursday or Friday, but am planning on riding to the Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, then meeting up with the Pres of the Owensboro chapter and riding to a town about 100 miles from here on Sunday to meet up with another biker for some coffee and conversation.

The point of this recap is to share my choices. I choose to be a 100% biker. I don't ride a bike as a hobby. I don't ride a bike to work. I ride a bike in order to enjoy my life. It is a passion that I enjoy every day. I currently own 5 bikes and am looking to buy another one, so even on the days when I am not out riding, I am either working on one of my bikes, cleaning them, or deciding what rides, rallies or trips I will be making next week or next month.

These are my choices in life. Every day, I wake up in pain. Because of that pain and my age, I know I will not be able to ride forever, but as long as I am physically able to ride, I choose to get on one of my Harley's and listen to the sweet deep roar of those pipes as I twist that throttle and kick it into the wind.

Where I am going, does not really matter. What I feel between my legs and on my face, takes me into a very special world that can only be shared by my brothers and sisters that are riding beside or behind me. And with each new sunrise, as long as I can open my eyes, get my feet onto the ground, climb onto my bike and have the strength to hold it upright, I am given the opportunity to choose between going for another ride or giving up and simply sitting in a recliner waiting...waiting for time to pass, until my time has been used up and I have no more time, no more strength, no more passion, no more life.

For today, I choose to ride. For tomorrow, I plan to ride. I like my choices. No, I LOVE my choices. I have been, I am and I always will be, A TRUE BIKER.
By FTW