March 2011

    (Note from Bummer: Upon finishing this, I almost decided to file it away and write something else for this month because I noticed that I had written something similar to it a few years ago. Then I decided that when you honestly believe in something, that belief should bear being repeated. But this time it IS being said a bit differently with some of my usual wanderings. So.....pardon me if you’ve heard me say some of this stuff before.)

    Halleluiah!! (Had to break down and use spell check for that one)

    Spring will officially arrive later this month and maybe we’ll finally stop hearing complaints about the weather. But this winter WAS so cold it could freeze the balls off a pool table. Soon the rainy season begins, and I’m sure THAT will be the new topic of discussion. Speaking for myself, the older I get the more I realize that every day you’re still sucking air is a good day. However, like most of you I AM ready to ride comfortably.
    I’d LIKE to start getting around the state and going to various regional and county meetings and events. When I retired, my plan was to do just that and write about the various regions and the people in them, what their events have to offer and what they’re doing. But like many of us, I sometimes put off so many things that it seems I’m often busy doing absolutely nothin’. Some days the only thing I’ve accomplished is to have taken out the trash or to have finished off the leftovers in the refrigerator (in fact often this is the same thing). A few years ago, Haskel in Region 5 told me he’d put me up if I came there for a visit.
    When I finally made arrangements to go down on a long weekend when their region had an event, and even a couple of meetings in a few of their counties, I called him up and said, “Here I come old buddy!” He replied with, “Well Bummer, actually I’m gonna be outta town this weekend. But maybe we can do it some other time.” AHHHHH!! Needless to say, we never got around to it again. But who knows? I am going through some changes, and maybe one of these days I’ll finally get off my ass, try it again and actually start cruising around this wonderful state and meeting new people.
    I know many won’t agree with me, but like I’ve often said in the past, I love Ohio. I love the land, the weather (for the most part) and the culture. I get SO sick of hearing folks complain about this state and how much better off they’d be someplace else. Well, I wish they’d just pack up and go! They could move to glitzy Las Vegas or ritzy Manhattan. They could move to California and live with the wackos, or to the Hamptons and live with the “elite”. I just wish they’d get the hell away from here so the rest of us don’t have to hear ‘em constantly whine about how sad they are.
    Big cities and the people in them are usually the same wherever you go, so there’s nothing much to say about that. But small town Ohio citizens are the most real and accommodating people I know. I’ve been around a little bit, and some people in other states seem to have an inherent coldness to them no matter what the temperature is or even the size of their towns. The locals sometimes seem wary and suspicious of anyone. But here, we usually welcome anyone who isn’t an outright threat to our existence. If you approach most people in Ohio with a smile, they usually smile back and are courteous. I’ve lived in places where people would respond to a smile with, “What the hell do YOU want?” or worse yet an unspoken, How can I take advantage of THIS asshole?
    Like I’ve also mentioned in the past, I’m actually proud of the way we’ve held up to the big corporations moving their operations out of Ohio in search of a cheaper labor force in other countries, while they are allowed to remain citizens of the United States, sell their products here and rake in the money. With multiple tax breaks! (Now, THAT’S real patriotic of them isn’t it?). The area where I live (known to many as the “Rust Belt”) has rebounded and survived somewhat gracefully in spite of the decisions made by the money-grubbing corporate executive bastards in charge of all that. (Do ya think maybe I’ve got an attitude?)
    But getting back on a good trip, what I really like about Ohio the most is the variety and diversity of everything. The music, the food, the scenery, the people and yes, even the weather. You’ve often heard, “If ya don’t like the weather, stick around and it’ll change any minute.” The truth is, people in lotsa other states say the same damn thing. And many of you say you hate our winters, but do you really? At least we don’t get it as bad as North by God Dakota!! And would you really like never again seeing snow glisten as it covers everything like a soft sparkly white blanket on a blue sky day? And how can you truly get into things like Christmas, or even a hot mug of cocoa, without winter?
    Granted, winter here is hard on your wallet (I just had heating oil delivered today and that took a chunk of change). But go ahead and try relaxing and living as comfortably as ya do here in California or Florida on anything less than an upper income. Of course you might survive, but how well? The cost of living there would make you have to do without a lot of things, unless you constantly hustle. And I’ve been told that the only people who can afford to live in Hawaii are the Japanese. Even native Hawaiians have been coming to the mainland to live and to find work. Sometimes it seems to me that the best thing to happen to a country is to start a war with the United States and lose. But I see once again I’ve drifted away from the subject.........
    Did ya ever notice that when you see and hear a national news report, the announcer sounds so much like us? For that matter, the same can be said about most movie and television stars. That’s because broadcasters and actors are taught that a Midwest/Ohio accent (or actually, lack of) is what is most welcome to the ears and easiest to understand.
    The spring season brings such greenery to Ohio that sometimes you can almost taste it as you cruise on two wheels through the lush countryside (I don’t usually talk about cruising through cities because I try not to unless I absolutely gotta, and then it’s not a “cruise”)
    Another thing about Ohio is simply its location. It’s a transportation hub. That’s why there are so many trucks on our highways and interstates. For a road trip, we can jump on the scoot and be on the east coast in a few hours. We can head south and be in the land of Dixie in a few hours. Or in a few more hours and we can be out west. And hell, we’re actually ON the north coast and can even be in Canada in a twinkle.
    In fact, maybe if I DO get off my butt I might cruise up through New England someday. I’ve been around most of the rest of the country and always wanted to do that, but haven’t. I hear it’s beautiful, if you can get past the expense of everything (pardon me, but being retired I often have to remind myself that I’m on a budget). A long time ago me and a guy I used to know were planning on riding up there, but we never got around to it.
    His name was “Spike” and he treated me alright, but he never seemed to get along with anyone else. Even his own sister (who I was seeing at the time) said that he was born just plain mean. She told me he was so mean, that when he was little his mother had to throw food to him. Once after someone made the mistake of starting something with him in a bar, he was charged with something I’d never even heard of before.....”Inhumane Cruelty”!! I won’t go into the details of the incident ‘cause it’s sorta gross. Anyway, we never made it up to New England, and maybe that’s a good thing. Last I heard, when he got out of prison he moved up to Alaska where he’s living out in the wilderness and can’t hurt anything human.
    There I go again.... Ya know, I’ve been told that I need to focus more on what I’m writing about and lay off the side-trips. But I’ve always found that the side-trips are usually the most interesting. Sometimes the best places I’ve been were the result of me intending to go someplace else. It always makes me wonder where I’ll end up next.
    But thank God I always get to come home.......to here.

                                Bummer