New Things

tied, originally uploaded by boxersiciliano.

Yesterday i tried something new...My cousin Ian took me trail riding on motorcycles...up in the Rocky MOuntains... I couldn't stop smiling for 5 hours at least afterwards...I have been riding motorcycles for a long time and once again, I have discovered a new facet of it that was completely new to me yet familiar in the ways of motorcycling...We got all geared up, forgot to bring the camera, and took off up the "road". Now mind you, it was raining and totally muddy and sloppy and wet, and I have NEVER ridden a dirt bike, much less ridden on trails, much less ridden on muddy sloppy wet trails. Ian is an excellent rider and his skills on the bike are incredible to watch so I followed his lead best i could. in the first 10 minutes I was really nervous and tense and trying to figure out how this thing handles and how to turn it and go with the flow.. There was a constant slipping and sliding of the back wheel and compared to a road bike, it is really unsettling at first, but then you start to get the rhythm of the bike and what it is capable of...incredible. This bike weighs about 140 pounds, less than me, and can roll over huge rocks and terrain that i would normally be totally freaked out about. Then we got to the river...yes, the river....what now? Well, Ian rode his bike across, walked back and then rode mine across as I waded across, getting both boots full of water..what did i get myself into???? I was getting nervous, but still having fun...then my first crash, not a bad one, but while riding through a puddle that was 10 feet wide and probably a foot deep, i hit a large rock and fell over...ok...fine, i picked up the bike and tried again, and as time went on i got better and better...more confidence...more understanding..I was learning something new!

on the way back, i knew that river crossing was coming up and I was feeling better and better, but I thought, how could I possibly cross this thing on my first day? Two guys caught up to us and we all arrived at the river crossing simultaneously. Ian went first, blazing a huge trail of water and spray and i could tell he was probably laughing the whole way...then the next guy went, but his approach was a bit slower and more cautious I guess...I watched and I thought, Hmmmmm...i could do that...then the third guy went and he too made it across with no problems...the river is about 2 1/2 feet or 3 feet deep, but from what I could tell there weren't any serious rocks in the bed...so I started up the bike and and siked myself up...the mud and slop and the steam comiong from my breath as I got ready to try something I had never done...ride a motorcycle across a river...hmmm...as I started the bike all three guys on the other side stopped, and I could tell Ian was saying..."oh oh, watch this you guys, this is his first trail ride and he's gonna cross...." It was on...i thought, now or never...so I cautiously rolled down the muddy rutted entry to the waters edge...gave it one more second of thought and went for it...Keeping my head about me and the throttle running hard, i pushed and slipped and slid and burst out onto the other side....i was beside myself...i had made it!!!! Ian was cheering and the other two guys were stoked for me...I made it.

The ride back to the car was easier than I remember as I had already learned more and what had seemed hard now seemed simple...The feeling of learning something new and having fun and falling down and getting up and crossing rivers...now that is what i call living.

It made me thing...in this life, we should always try new things and not be afraid to fail, or fall down. It keeps us young and sharp and excited. It is a constant reminder for me that I absolutely love all things motorcycle...race tracks, long trips with my dad, mellow rides, and now...trail riding...all of it. and why not???

So...this month, go learn something new....try it....do it....have fun...live


I started Swing Dancing too...tapping into my grandfather's roots...


Love and Understanding.