Just thought I'd share an incident that happened this morning. I had pulled into a gas station to fill up. Ahead of me was a very elderly lady pumping gas into her car. I'd guess her age at late 70's. I noticed that she was staring at me and wondered if my Harley, boots, and leather jacket was intimidating to her. She finished up and pulled her car aside before stopping about 10 feet to my left and rolling down the window. Now I was wondering if I was going to get a lecture about the dangers of riding motorcycles. When I glanced at her she said "I just want to hear you start it. My husband rode one of those." I told her that it would just be a minute. She waited until I was done and had fired up the bike before giving me a smile and a wave and driving away. I hope that sound brought back memories of happy times. For me it was a reminder that old folks weren't always old. She was once someone's sweetheart riding on the back of a Harley Davidson. John
Glider: Judging by how stooped she was I'd have had to pick her up to put her in the saddle. I'm not sure MY aging back would have handled that! Joe: My Dad died two years ago at the age of 76. He lived with us the last couple of years of his life. Some of my earliest memories are of riding on the back of his Harleys. John
We will all be there some day...(old) and if we cant ride it will be nice to still see them and hear them! My father is 62 and had a major accident on a quad, broke his neck and 3 ribs back about 10 years ago (dog ran in front of him). I have watched a man at the age of 52 cut trees down, plow his feilds, hunt, fish, nothing stopped him. After this wreck and many operations/complications my brother and I moved mom and dad from Panama City FL to up here in Atlanta as his condition would not alow him to take care of the land he loved so much. I know he would rather be back down there but he knows it is best for him and mom to be around us. The first time I road the new scoot up to his house, I asked him to come out side "gotta show ya something dad" He started to cry! I asked what was wrong? He said it was like giving him another grandchild! He was more excited then me! He had a scoot back in the 60's but sold it to work 3 jobs and support the family. I cranked it up and he grabbed the handle bar and smiled.. I have had the best relationship I have ever had with him over the last ten years. I ride up to see him every Saturday morning. He can no longer drive and spends most of his time in the house. I know the day will come (not doing very well) and I will have to say good bye. I call him every day to let him know I love him and proud to have him as my father. I make it a point to say hello to every elder person I see, they deserve it. They have put there time in on this earth and a smile on their face put one on mine...
Sorry about your loss. A buddy of mine and I were just talking the other day about how lucky we were to still have both parents. We found that out of our huge group of friends, we were two of about only 4 guys with both parents still living. Mind you, we're all in our thirties so we're not super old. Yet, so many of my friends have lost one or both parents. I'm afraid I sometimes go too long without speaking to mom and dad. It's threads like this that get me moving in the right direction.
Great stories! It really is nice to reflect on family, those that came before us, and just good people in general during this holiday season. (Just one thing though...let's not refer to people in their 60s as old!)
nice stories there people. its true you dont realise how much you miss them till there not there. remember folks the older generation have done every thing we have done. possibly twice i remember my fathers stories from during the war. you sometimes forget they where young once. and if i might say they had a great deal more balls than most of this generation.
Was a movie came out in 1999, The Straight Story, about this old guy who rode a riding lawn mower across Iowa to Illinois (I believe), to see his ailing brother. During the 240 mile trip, meets all sorts, and is asked what is the hardest part about growing old. He answers, remembering when you were young. I've tried to get as much out of that one little answer as I can, as we are all headed in that direction. Another thing I read several years ago called Desiderata had a little line in it that as we grow older to gracefully surrender the things of youth. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that while remembering our youth gets further and further in the past, and as we move forward and surrender the passions of yesterday, we need to remember that there are still those who are further down the road than we've traveled and respect them, love them, appreciate them, and when our time comes, hopefully, we will receive the same. Goes around/comes around thing. Showing our youth today the respect we should have for our elders, and they hopefully in return will do the same for us. I step down from my soapbox now, and hope for a nice weekend so I can move my new bike closer to its first service. :rider
goodness we are getting deep here what words of wisdom. i will add a wee quote from our great billy connolly when asked what he missed from his youth. he thought and said it is not things from my youth but youth its self i miss. not to get morbid but working in emergency service i see a lot . live every day as if it was your last because one day you will be right...... i think that is why we all enjoy motorcycles so much. ride safe and in the immortal words of mr spock... live long and prosper...
Didn't mean to get too deep. My wife is from another country, so doesn't fully understand my philosophical tangents, so I've found an outlet among you all. I'll keep to a minimum in future. Nothing like a little Billy Connolly humor, though. Perhaps you can help me, he did a stand up act back in the late 80's, talking about going on a 2 week vacation to Australia and a huge spider, and of course was backed up by his colorful language. Was the funniest thing I'd heard at the time, but can't find the bit anywhere now 20 years later. Would love to get a copy of it.