Lots of post-election hate today, from both sides. Wanted something different. Found this in my archives, from a longer project about my love of motorcycles and tabletop gaming. I hope to finish it someday. It would involve a lot of saddle time traveling around to game with people I’ve met online.

I love motorcycles.

It’s not something everyone understands although a lot of people think they do. Some people even go so far as to buy a motorcycle, sometimes spending tens of thousands of dollars before figuring it out it’s not for them. Go check out the Used section at any bike dealership. Or even your local Cragislist. You’ll find a lot of motorcycles that cost from $15-30K brand new, yet here they sit for sale, from 1-5 years old with only a few thousand miles on them.

Riding a bike, while awesome, can be work. The first few weekss you’ll wonder if your ass and inner thighs will ever stop hurting. The first time you get caught in high winds you’ll think you’re about to drop the bike every few seconds and when you finally do get it parked, your legs will feel like jelly. The first time you get caught in the rain you’ll question your own sanity as the raindrops hit you in the face and every single one stings.

Every.

Single.

One.

The first time you take a ride of more than a few hundred miles you’ll think maybe this bike thing isn’t for you because here you are, not able to stretch out like you can in your car and you’re still 3 hours from home and damn wouldn’t it be awesome to be in your recliner eating a sandwich and watching the game right now?

If you can survive those first few months, your ass and thighs will stop hurting. You’ll buy gear to handle the high winds and the rain and begin to appreciate nature as a challenge, not a detriment. And when you’re 3 hours from home, instead of thinking about your recliner and a turkey and mayo on rye, you’ll be too busy enjoying the scenery and wondering where your next trip is gonna lead you.

And if you last that long, you’ll begin to feel the desire. At first it’s faint, barely noticeable. But it stays put, a persistent little nudge, wriggling inside of your brain and then down into something deeper inside you. The absolute and critical need of being knees in the breeze.

Soon it will grow as if pouring gasoline on a fire.

If you’re smart enough, you will let it consume you.