real Community in Motorcycle Riding!

On my last ride I rode with 3 other guys, some who I had ridden with before but who had not all ridden with each other. Some were relatively new friends of mine and others of them had never met the others. One of the beautiful things about traveling with someone, whether it’s on a bike or not, is the expedited growth in a relationship. Yes, I have only known some for a short time now, but I know much more about their lives and stories than I do about other people that I have “known” for years. This is a byproduct of motorcycle traveling that is not talked about too much. It is the riding partner dynamic, the stages of growth in friendship that can quickly be accomplished in days rather than months. During my short time riding with these guys, I have learned a lot about them—their childhoods and roles as fathers to the main reasons for doing this ride. You see each of their trips didn’t start on the day that we left Medford, Oregon. They started many years before and their life experience has become invaluable. They are all men who have something to look up to and respect, and I’m thankful that I could be a little part of their lives. The journey is over. Congratulations to you who had the fortitude to look past all of the obstacles, a bunch of good men, good fathers, and good sons. Men who have fought for our country, committed to one woman, love their grand children, and love the Lord. You have finished a good ride, a hard ride, a man ride, and have benefitted from being a part of a community of true motorcycle riders.

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