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| 2005 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide |
It was March of 2006, and I just had the pins removed from my right wrist after spending three months with a cast all the way up my arm. I couldn't wait to ride again.
I hadn't ridden my Yamaha Road Star for over three months. In fact, I hadn't ridden at all for over three months. I wondered if I had lost anything from the hiatus.
But it wasn't the Yamaha I crashed. My first wife had fallen in love with a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic because of how luxurious the passenger amenities were. The seat was comfy, the foot positioning was ideal, and the back padding provided great support. On top of that, there was a spacious Tour-Pak and hard bags for all of her stuff. So I decided to buy it.
That bike lasted only a week before I totaled it in January 2006. It was black cherry in color. I didn't even think to take a photograph of it, that's how new it was.
I had ridden it just outside of Pioneertown, CA, just near the intersection of Pioneertown Rd and Pipes Canyon Rd, when I came to a dip. There was about 6 inches of water flowing through it due to snow melt from the nearby San Bernardino Mountains. I didn't expect to find water. When I came upon the dip, I was startled by it, and applied the brakes too hard. I hit the water and lost control of my bike, and flew off high side.
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| My 2004 Yamaha Road Star |
But after having nursed a broken wrist for three months, and having replayed the motorcycle crash in my head a few dozen times, I wondered if I could still ride with confidence.
It didn't take long. Just a few of miles riding through town, and it seemed as if I hadn't lost a thing.
It was just my own doubts that had plagued me.
You never lose your ability to ride, you only lose your confidence. The fear clouds your thinking and causes you to overreact. You find yourself fumbling over a mental checklist of things to do, trying so hard to not forget something. All the while, you could have believed in your abilities, believed in success, and allow that belief to guide you.
Memory of that day I took my first ride following the accident was with me yesterday when I watched Sash ride her Kawasaki Ninja 500R through a parking lot in downtown by Petco Park. She was practicing still. She actually has her motorcycle endorsement, and is already legally allowed to ride on public roads. However, after crashing my Yamaha Road Star, and taking a 6-month hiatus from riding, she was concerned about still being able to ride.
And she dropped her Ninja twice the first time she tried riding it, injuring her knee. So, imagine how tense and worried she was practicing at the parking lot.
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| Sash practicing on her Kawasaki Ninja 500r |
She did awesome! She spent quite some time just idling along while feeding the clutch and finding the friction zone. Then I had her ride the bike in first gear for a few loops, and practice stopping smoothly.
Sash was still tense, of course.
But it was she who taught me that if you believe in success, success will come.
And that's the Law of Attraction. If you believe it, the Universe will make it happen. If you want it badly enough, you'll seize the opportunities.
A vagabond who hauls a motorcycle around the country in a toy hauler, earning a living as a website developer. Can often be found where there's free Wi-Fi, craft beer, and/or public nudity. 
I've always been of that mindset: that if you push and stay focused on a goal it can be achieved. It's a way of thinking they don't really buy into in the UK and in my years here I think I've let that affect me. People here believe that everything is awful all the time. I was thinking about this today - my change in thinking since moving here. I hold myself back.
ReplyDeleteUhm, I have no idea where I'm going with this comment.
I think in societies that rely on government to take care of the people, people tend to be more numb about their needs, and at the same time, lack any sense of their own individual. The United States began its roots with disenfranchised people who wanted a new life so badly enough, that they believed in it, and overcame obstacles to get here. Everyone else simply remained in Europe.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the praise. I know I have the ability to ride; I've always believed I could. Now I have my own mindset to overcome. I give it 10 more days. . . that's it. By then it needs to get the Hell out because I have riding to do!
ReplyDeleteI really wish my wife would ride too, she's been saying she going to get the license but that's it, just keeps saying it :-(
ReplyDeleteWow Steve, this is a great read! Especially for someone like me who is just beginning! If you believe in success, success will come. Love it!
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