Sometimes something small can make all the difference.....

The Black River in the autumn morning - the water is warmer than the air.

So it was a sunny but chilly Sunday morning as I rode with two other guys, on our way to meet #ScootinAmerica. It was 37.8 degrees and the main thing you have to remember: when you're riding a motorcycle, whatever the temperature is, take 20 degrees off of that for the wind chill. If you don't believe me, check this out.

L to R: my bike, Lionel & his bike, Mark's bike & Mark

And as I'm riding along, freezing my patukas off, I'm thinking to myself, "Why am I doing this??!!" Of course I'm layered up - thermals, jeans, wool socks, wind-proof liner, leather chaps & jacket, waterproof gloves, and my 3/4 helmet - but I'm still cold and it feels like I've got nails being hammered into the ends of my fingers.... 

Me, Adam & Scooter

But then I remembered that Adam & Scooter have been riding for nearly two years, crossing the country six times, and has ridden in weather much worse, all while raising money for veterans and their families. (Read why I was excited to meet these two here.)

I'm just riding a short ways and the weather forecast says it'll get warmer - guess I better put on my big girl panties and suck it up. And even though my riding this short distance to ride with #ScootinAmerica may not seem like much, meeting these two did make a positive difference in my day. Hopefully my presence did the same for them. 

Just like I'm not a mechanic nor do I carry any tools with me

A tiny yet powerful tool

on my bike, I still stop for fellow bikers stuck on the side of the road because that's what bikers do. Earlier this year I stopped for a friend who had a clogged fuel line, and was trying to clear it. As I watched him work I remembered a paperclip I had with some of my paperwork. I unfolded it and we used it to eliminate the obstruction - bingo!!!

At FXCHD we raised just over $200 for #ScootinAmerica -

Dan holding #ScootinAmerica's donation jar while
I put money into it.

not the big donation I was hoping to give to them, but better than nothing to be sure. Again, it might not seem like much but maybe it'll be enough (when added to the other funds Adam has raised) to reach their goal. After all, every bit counts.

Sometimes it's like that - you don't think you'll make that big of a difference, but then you do! Or that someone else, doing what they do, will make a difference. Maybe their presence and/or actions aren't a big deal to you but they just might be to someone else. 

d

The Dalai Lama

Remember what the Dalai Lama said: "If you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." 

A motorcycle might not seem like a big deal, but I invite you to take a small ride with me, through a small town and cross over the Black River on my Youtube channel. I'm hoping that this small slice out of my ride home will make you smile.