another year closer to the grave

man do birthdays suck. it really started for me at 40. that transition from 39 to 40 was like a hard kick in the balls. and it gets worse every year. i look at my 16 year old son, and it seems like only yesterday that i was him. much the same as i look at my 85 year old father, and it seems like only yesterday he was me.

the time goes by so fast. faster every year. the business that i work in only accelerates it. not unusual to work 75 hours a week, in fact it's the norm.

as i sit here all busted up, the mortality thing has really been setting in. i am grateful to be just alive. in a split second it could have easily gone the other way. so i've made the decision not to ride anymore. i love the feeling of the wind in my face, the tone of the exhaust, the calmness that comes over you. shattered in an instant, by a careless driver. i can't be selfish with my life any longer. i know how lucky i am that i saw her even though she didn't see me. a full force collision, i wouldn't be here tellin you this right now.

i have children that i want to see turn into adults. help them through the mistakes they make. teach them what is right. my wife wasn't happy when i started to ride again. and is really against my riding again. she has stuck with me through a lot of *feces* in our life together, and i owe her big time. this is a small price to pay for our happiness.

so today i am 47 years old. way too close to 50 for my liking, and way too far from thirty. but just happy to still be here.

thanks for the shoulder.

Happy Birthday AM.

I made the decision not to ride over 20 years ago.  I crashed my dirt bike and broke my collarbone.  This was in the sand at 35 mph. 

Within a year of that I was on the other side of your story.  I took a guy out on a bike.  Not through what I thought was negligence or lack of awareness.  I simply didn't see him.  Sunny day, looking away from the sun, not tired, not daydreaming, not "impaired" IYKWIM, nothing.  He just showed up about two feet off my front fender and a millisecond later was bouncing off my windscreen.  Luckily he was kitted out or he might not be here either. 

Within a year I stopped riding and haven't been on a bike since.

Here's to 47 more years of bashing Hondas and Toyotas.   

American Made: Alive

Stroh's video: Dead

Well that's kinda like fallin' down the stairs when they call your name on The Price is Right.   

It's fixord now.

american made

Happy Birthday!  Trust me there are a lot of kids out there who wished their dads lived to see 47.

Maybe you're now old enough to trade in your hog for a Goldwing like Fuzzy's parents.

 

And this on the day I'm working on closing a deal on a bike. 

Oh well, happy birthday anyway. I suspect you'll find yourself back in the saddle again before it's all over. I wrote it off riding in my early twenties for a number of reasons, but the itch just wouldn't go away. Your experience might be different. Whatever it is, hopefully you'll manage to fill the void one way or another.

OK Jeffro.  Look forward to the grandkids.  Get off the bike and live for them.  Take pride in what you've done and how you've raised your kids.

Life ain't fair.  Guys like you and me know that all to well.

Get better.  I look forward to meeting up with you and maybe playing some golf next year.

Many of us here would be proud to call you friend.  So you've got that going for you, anyway.