January 2011

        Happy New Year!

    Last month I mentioned the upcoming ABATE seminar. By the time you read this, all the details necessary to make your plans are set and hopefully you’ve thought seriously about coming. I know I plan on making it, but I’ve said that before and couldn’t. That’s one thing about life: It’s just like a box of chocolates. I think I’ve heard that someplace before. It might have been from my mama.
    Due to the journalistic time warp necessary to put out this magazine in an orderly fashion, I’m starting to write this column on Halloween evening, 2010. I like to get an early start and take my time. It’ll be finished and tweaked over the next month, and sent in on December 1st. In fact I haven’t even sent in what I’ve written for December yet. I’ll be doing that tomorrow. Sometimes it does get confusing. The reason I mentioned that is today (Halloween) all day long on one of my TV channels, the Rocky Horror Picture Show is playing over and over.
    I remember when this movie first came out. I saw it at a “Midnight Movies” that a local mall had going on for a few years at its theater every Friday night at midnight. I was in my early 20’s (yes, we had a few malls back then....in fact they were the new thing) and I was all up for anything that was unconventional. I particularly liked the flat out weird (not to be confused with that yucky, artsy phrase “avant garde”).
    Most of us are old enough to remember when it was accepted (and even encouraged) to properly view Rocky Horror at the theater by taking part in something quite odd: Some of you might have even gone to extreme lengths and dressed up as one of the characters. You might have brought things with you to the show, like pieces of toast to throw around at the appropriate moment in the film. In short, the audience was as much of a part of the show as the film was. It became a Halloween tradition that went on in some theaters for years and years.
    This all brings to mind something disturbing that I’ve begun to notice about American culture in the new millennia: We’ve become a flock of sheep that not only lacks the ability to create new traditions, we often ignore the traditions of the past, especially if they might be considered “odd” by some. This seems to create a vacuum where both originality and tradition, normally opposing sensibilities, are in decline.
    It appears we lack the ability to do anything that is done simply for the sheer joy of it. “Weird” behavior doesn’t seem to be acceptable anymore, unless you’re a wealthy celebrity like Paris Hilton, the weird and wealthy Lady Gaga, or some kind of celebrity wanna-be. Personally, I usually detest celebrities and the wealthy.....and what they represent.
    But I mean, let’s face it. Even within our biking culture, which many of us first got into BECAUSE of its freedom of expression, these days most so called “custom” choppers all look alike at first glance. Most even have the same yuppie pastel or day-glo paint jobs. The “album cover” paint schemes many bikers used on their fenders and tanks in the 60’s and 70’s might not have been completely original, but at least they said something the rider wanted to say.....and were often beautiful.
    Rarely do we see bikers who even wear truly significant patches on their jackets.....they’re just “cute”. And most of their pins represent things that really don’t mean anything to them personally. Hell, many even sport tattoos that don’t mean anything.
    Now, don’t get me wrong: I know quite a few people who can tell you what every tattoo, pin or patch they wear represents....and they DO represent something. They might proudly point to a scratch in their bike’s paint and tell ya where it came from, or what the graphics on their tank means to them. To them it’s all VERY personal. And that’s the way it should be.
    But for every one of them there are plenty more who wouldn’t even have a clue about what I’m trying to say, let alone why I would complain about it. These people might even appear to be very traditionally “old school”, but they don’t know what it all means because they’ve never really taken any part in it. They’ve never actually lived the lifestyle they so proudly proclaim they’re a part of. And that’s OK with me as long as they don’t pretend they have. It’s just a good thing that they’re not pretending to be brain surgeons. That could pose a problem or two.
    OK, I’m done preaching about something that really has absolutely nothing to do with actual riding. At least people still have to do that as individuals. And appearances are just that. My opinions probably don’t matter to anyone but me anyway. They’re personal LOL. So, with all that said....moving on....

    With this New Year comes many new, different and possibly exciting things: Some of you can finally install the new bike parts you’ve gotten for Christmas. I should officially be single this month (which is certainly different after a few years not being). Each New Year can be seen as a new beginning for all of us, just like every day begins anew and fresh.
    Politically, a new congress will be in our nation’s capital. Here in Ohio we’ll have a new governor. Whether that’s good or bad remains to be seen (I didn’t vote for him), but at least it’ll be different. Also, new and old ABATE officers will be taking their positions throughout the state. That, and what they do in their positions, could be exciting.
    No matter how ya feel about your elected ABATE officers, please try to support these people who usually sacrifice their time, their efforts, and sometimes even some of their own bucks (in one form or another) to carry on this thing we have called ABATE. They really do need your help. This is one of the few organizations I know of that not only asks you to sacrifice yourself (as officers) but also even demands that you pay dues to do it. Most charities, no matter how wonderful they are, are staffed with people who draw pay checks, drive provided vehicles and have expense accounts they use for absolutely everything they need. ABATE isn’t like that. We truly are a grassroots organization.
    It’s not an ego thing. It’s certainly not a stepping stone in anyone’s career. It doesn’t pay off in any way except the satisfaction that you’re actively trying to protect and expand your rights and the rights of others in the motorcycling community.

    Now......on an entirely different and final note, I went for a ride the other day and I swear that as I rode the damned leaves on the trees all seemed to fall off at the same time. I wasn’t even on any kind of drugs! At that particular moment I was just looking around and getting into the fact that the leaves were dying and that the beautiful colors were fading, when a sudden gust of wind came along and completely wiped the leaves off of a whole bunch of trees as I passed. I’ve never noticed that before! It was sorta like when the sun starts to fade and the dark of evening begins and you notice the street lights suddenly switch on. It happens every day, but ya usually just don’t SEE it. Only this was way more shocking. I actually screamed out, “OH MY GOD!!” like I thought it was the end of the world or something.
    The person on the back almost jumped off the bike.
        “WHAT???” she cried.
        “Did you see that?”
        “WHAT???” she repeated.
        “Nothing..... Never mind.”
She probably thought I was going crazy.         Sometimes I think I’ve been going there all my life. Maybe someday I’ll actually get to it and I can finally relax.
                            Bummer