After moving out, I made the decision to buy a bike instead
of finding my own place to live. Right away. I moved in with a friend and her
family. People who don’t ride questioned my decision. I have had my bike for a
month now and know it was the right choice. For the friendship Layla and I are
forming has taught me much already.
1.
I can find
my way on my own.
It started the night I brought her home was
my first time riding solo. My friend was not in front of me guiding the way,
pointing out hazards, or checking to see how I was doing each time we stopped.
2.
I have
strength.
The first time I dropped Layla was in a
parking lot after riding on 95 and passing two campers. It is fair to say my nerves were a bit
shot. That day friends were with me and helped me pick her up. Last week, I
dropped her again when doing a slow turn on a bit of a hill in a parking lot.
It wasn’t easy, but I picked her up all by myself. And then she wouldn’t start…
3. I can solve problems without relying on
somebody else.
I sat on the seat for a bit and tried again.
Still nothing. Before trying to figure it out on my own, I thought about the
people I could call to come help me out. Embarrassment kept me from calling
anyone. I knew gas wasn’t getting where it needed to go. And then it was! I
figured it out after trying a few different things.
4. “Remember to keep it shiny-side up.”
The last month many people have told me to
keep the shiny side up. Shiny side up, wind in my face, without a care in the
world. For me, a metaphor for the way I try to live my life. In order to keep it shiny side up, I
need to be in the moment, avoid hazards, and always be thinking one step ahead.
5. Bikers like to hug.
One of my favorite parts of the monthly
Rolling Thunder meetings is the hugs. Everybody hugs when they see each other
and again before they leave. The feeling of caring in the room is powerful. I
know these people would do anything for me and each other. We should all be
hugging more often!
6. A simple wave brings a smile.
When out riding, one of the things I like
best is the wave I exchange with other riders. The biker wave. We don’t know
each other, yet in a single hand gesture lasting less than a couple of seconds
there is camaraderie. Without fail, I smile. (Usually on the inside. I don’t
want to risk swallowing a bug.)
7. I don’t fit the stereotype (according to one
7th grade boy)
I ride my bike to school every chance I
get. The other day I had the following conversation with a 7th grade
boy:
“Mrs.
Victor, you ride a motorcycle, right?”
“Right.”
“But
you wear make-up. Biker chicks don’t wear make-up. They are supposed to look
all badass and stuff.”
Apparently, he has been thinking a lot
about me riding a motorcycle and can’t get it to make sense in his head. The
next day he came to me with another question or two after seeing my bike boots
in my classroom.
“Mrs.
Victor, I bet you swagger up to the biker bar and ask for a Heineken.”
Another
student who is immersed in a biker church community was in the classroom and
started laughing almost as hard as I did.
“I
have never been to a biker bar, nor have I heard of a biker drinking Heineken,”
I responded. “Besides, the bikers I know don’t drink and ride.”
“What
do they drink?”
My
other student was happy to answer the question, “Whiskey.”
“You
can’t be a biker though, Mrs. Victor. You don’t have a tattoo,” he persisted.
I
walked away laughing happy to have broken the stereotype of how he sees a
“biker chick.”
I am looking forward to learning more life’s lessons as I
continue riding. One of these days, I will ride in the mountains and challenge
myself on the Dragon’s Tail. I will ride on a highway without having to give
myself a pep talk as cars and trucks go whizzing by me. I will pass campers and
wave to them with confidence. I will continue to embrace the strength and
confidence that the freedom of riding brings.
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