Going out doing what I love... My Passion

Call me crazy, but I have dreamed of my death. In my dream I'm old, probably in my 90s, laying in a bed surrounded by my children and their children. Which is all well and good, but that's not how I wish to depart this reality.

All of us will eventually shuffle off, leaving only the memory of us in the ones we love and who loved us.

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Although, technically I'm not even supposed to be alive! As a child I was diagnosed with All Lymphatic Leukemia, and back in the early 70s the survival rate wasn't exactly the best. At one point the doctors told my father they needed to operate to remove the lymph nodes in my neck, and when he refused the doctors proclaimed I would die. "We are all going to die... No one gets out of this alive,"  was my dad's reply

Obviously I survived... they never did operate and a little while later I finally went into remission. That instilled the mantra into my head as I grew up: 

It doesn't matter how we die, only how we live.

Photo by Harley-Davidson on Unsplash

Last weekend, while I was in Alexandria Bay at the Thousand Islands River Run, I heard the news from New Hampshire. Word of the accident spread quickly through our biker community not only because we're somewhat close to the area (just a day ride), but also because we've got Fort Drum Army Post literally in our back yard (and most of the victims were former Marines). 

Going back to my youth again, growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 80s and 90s, I had quite a few friends pass away from a terminal illness that left their bodies weak and frail. For some it was all they could do just to sit up in bed. There was no way for them to do what they loved, even if that was just a walk in the park.

This past weekend there was also news from Hawaii: a plane carrying skydivers had gone down. In the news coverage, the girlfriend of one of the victims had said, "...he loved what he did and he died doing what he loved, so it was beautiful." 

Yes, both accidents were tragedies. And yes, both should never have happened. However, that is as much a part of the circle of life as life itself: birth, life, death, repeat.

And, if given the choice between a long suffering illness where my body and/or mind could betray me and I'm left virtually helpless, or a quick accident where I was doing something I enjoyed, I'd take the later. If at all possible, I'd like to go out doing what I love.

Ride Motorcycles and be Happier - 10 Ways

At times I'm your typical Northern California girl - I love yoga, definitely a nature lover, I'm into Zen-like thinking, and I subscribe to a number of "feel good" blogs.

One Elephant Journal article I read recently was titled 10 ways to Choose Happiness. (However I'm not a complete "hippie" because my first thought was, "One of them better involve riding a motorcycle!!") 

And, while the author didn't mention motorcycles in the article at all (how DARE they!), as it turns out all the bullet points can be achieved when you're a motorcyclist. Here, I'll show you: 

• Detach: On my motorcycle all I have to do is twist the throttle and I detach myself from all the negatives of my day.
• Give & Receive: By joining NNY H.O.G. (our local Harley Owners Group chapter) I am able to give advice and mentorship to those around me. And the camaraderie & great memories I receive in return? Priceless.
• Appreciate Yourself: "Give yourself some love on a daily basis." Easily done when I'm riding, or thinking about riding, or planning a ride, or reading about riding.... You get the point.
• Connect with Nature: Riding a motorcycle is

  

  "You in the mini-van - how long you in for?"

  completely different than riding in a car. In a car the windshield & cabin act to keep you in a cage, detached from what is around you - like you're watching a movie. When you're riding a motorcycle, you are IN the scene rather than staring at it from afar. You see & smell much more on a motorcycle than you ever do in a car. You're definitely connecting with Nature on a very intimate level.
• Be In The Moment: To be a good motorcyclist you need to be focused on what you're doing, NOW.
  
  What happened 10 minutes ago, last week and last year all melt into the background. And the only future you need to be aware of is which road you're going to take.
• Love Yourself: The fact that I didn't reach my weight goal, or that my teeth aren't going to pass the "tissue test" or that I didn't get many "likes" on my Facebook posts, doesn't matter in the least to my Harley-Davidson!! But seriously I don't really care about any of that stuff because I learned a long time ago that none of that matters. Thanks in large part to riding, I've come to know I'm beautiful. Period.
• Practice Gratitude: It's easy to complain, but then
  
  I realize how blessed I am - I can simply jump on my bike and ride away from it all and not everyone can.
• Get Inspired Daily: I'll think back to Harley-Davidson's four founding fathers who, over a century ago, had the foresight to start a company that evolved into a way of life that I so enjoy. Listening to other Bikers tell their story of their favorite road is another way I'm inspired.
• Focus on the Good: I was stuck in traffic on a hot July day, getting caught up at how I should have
  
  taken another route - getting too focused on the bad. I started looking around and there was a straight up Amish guy sitting close by, just looking at me on my bike as I sat sweating. All of a sudden he gives me the biggest smile and flashes me a 'biker wave'!!! The best one I've ever gotten came out of something I didn't initially see as good... 
• Practice Self-care: Putting on my riding gear and making sure my bike is well maintained certainly rev up my mind, body & spirit!!

So there you have it, when you ride a motorcycle you're a happier person. It's true that money cannot buy happiness, but it can buy you a Harley, which is pretty much the same thing! 

Trying to keep •B A L A N C E D•

Balance.... it can be found virtually everywhere. Between work and home life. Nature versus Nurture. Online and off. And, of course, balancing life on two wheels.

With recent events happening in our country and around the world, it seems as though our balance might be off.... Do we open ourselves up which can lead to vulnerability? Or secure ourselves while shutting others out? It's a fine line to balance on and no easy answers.

That doesn't mean we just quit all together. If it's one

thing I've learned while balancing on two wheels - you've got to keep moving forward!

And that's one thing you'll notice about Bikers: we put our heart into it and work hard until it - whatever it is - is fixed. Obviously that trait doesn't apply to just Bikers, but Americans as well - that's what makes this country of ours so great.

So we will keep moving forward, trying to regain our balance. Americans before us have succeeded achieving it and we can too. We will come together and figure this out.

But that's the key: coming together! You know that old saying, "United we stand, divided we fall."

I'm proud to say that Harley-Davidson feels the same and has publicly announced it with a "United We Roll" campaign launched last week. Plus they've shipped stickers to each dealership across the United States, including FX Caprara Harely-Davidson, to be handed out for free to anyone that wants one.

No matter where you are in the U.S., there's a Harley dealer close by. And if you visit FXCHD, I'd love it if you made a point to say HI!