Bonus Blog: Untold Stories & Motorcycle Riding

This bonus blog will cover what, to me, are important people that escaped previous mention, as well as write about the attraction of riding motorcycles.  Most people really just look at motorcycles as dangerous and they just cannot understand the attraction.  I have gone about 4300 miles on my journey, so I think I can speak to that issue.

You remember Stephanie (Scott Culp's daughter who lives in Whitefish).  She has a ranch where she owns quarter horses, and takes pleasure at her three dogs running in the tall grass.  Stephanie also works as a realtor in the area.  She told me that the horses stay outside all year long; if it gets super cold, they blanket them.  The hair on the horses become thick and long, only to shed in the spring and summer. 

Over dinner at Stillwater Fish House, we discussed animal psychology.  While each individual animal is different, there are some constants: horses can tell what a particular human feels about them.  Is the person scared of horses?  Is the person over-anxious to have the horse like them?  In either case, the horse can tell from yards away.  Many dog breads have the same intuition and reaction to people (obviously, not golden retrievers:).

The issue is the fear of getting hurt by the horse, or bit by a dog.  Even among horse or dog lovers, one can feel now and again a hesitancy - is the person being natural with no reflection, or is there some kind of psychological thing going on that can be picked up by the animal.  Fear of danger; fear of personal injury.  There is also the illusion of safety - where most people live in their minds.  Stephanie and Ryan are awesome.  Understanding nature, its risks, and deriving joy from their lifestyle.  As  I said, great conversation.

This brings me to the topic of motorcycles.  Riding a motorcycle is dangerous.  But so are many things that we do which have a near certain outcome of sickness, injury, or death.  We just do not think about those risks because the bad outcome will take place in the future.  And then there are those unlikely catastrophic events that make no sense whatsoever: Charlotte Fox, world renowned women mountain climber, like in Mt. Everest, only to die by a fall in her own home.  Or my sister who died from a common virus that her immune system went wacky on.  Or getting hit by a drunk driver, a healthy person dying of a heart condition they did not know about, etc. etc. etc.  Long term risks that people take all the time: eating poorly, smoking, obesity, prescription drugs, you name it.  You get the idea.  We each evaluate risks based on the following ratio: convenience or joy to risk (air travel, driving a car are examples).  If we like to do something, we assume the risk (a good ole legal term).

What is it about motorcycle riding that some people are willing to take a risk?  It is a leaned skill to ride in a safe as possible manner.  The rider has "some level of control" over their fate.  The joy can be described in various ways: it is like "surfing on the road" (similar to a bicyclist who coasts down a mountain after they worked so hard to get to the top).  A motorcyclists has to "focus" on road and weather conditions - much more than a driver of a car.  Cars lull you into thinking that you are safe because you are confined in a "cage" that protects you from the elements; and you can fiddle with the radio or let your mind wonder a bit.  On a motorcycle you have to maintain balance and not take anything for granted.  A person driving a car is more consumed with destination rather than enjoying the riding experience.  A motorcyclist is more likely to meet fellow motorcyclists than an automobile driver meeting other people driving cars.

I cannot count the number of fellow motorcyclists that I have met on this trip.  They love my bike!  People, whether they are riding, or have ridden, or who have motorcycles back home, all approach me.  What have they done to their motorcycle that makes it their own?

I met a man today, just outside of Sandpoint, ID, who said that he stopped riding after his partner got killed in an accident.  No, not a motorcycle accident - he died in an automobile accident when a Bull Moose ran out into the road.  Just goes to show.

The people I have met are all astounded that I have ridden this far on my motorcycle.  "All the way from South Florida - OMG".  I have not seen another motorcycle from Florida on my trip.  Now, if you saw a car with Florida tags in Montana, or Washington State, you know they have come a long way - but still, to do that on a motorcycle, well that is just different.  In a car - not so much.  A motorcyclist is much closer to nature - for good or for ill.  I can tell you, I hope hunters thin out the deer population - I am now all for that!

Riding a motorcycle vs cars can also be compared as follows: camping vs. staying in a hotel.  If I camping out on this trip, I would hope that I had the skill to shoot a gun.  Bears are really plentiful around the mountains where I have been.  Can you imagine bears invading your campground?  If in a hotel, you are safe and warm (so you think).

Finally: you may ask why would a person subject themselves to those risks?  Simple.  Without the risks, a person dwells on matters that don't define you as a person.  We are of nature - and there is just too much BS in the world (e.g., political correctness, ongoing social conditioning, etc) that does not amount to anything at the end of the day.

Wind in your hair - all alone - staying alive - and keeping open to whatever comes your way.

Ride a horse.