I went on a date with my husband and we took the motorcycle.
Now that doesn't sound so bad, does it? People ride motorcycles all the time, right?
See, the thing is, I can't even ride a bicycle. There, my secret's out. I never learned as a kid, and though I've tried, I never got the hang of it as an adult either. I finally got rid of my bicycle. No use letting a good bike rot in my garage if I'm not going to use it. And after the scooter incident I decided that I should stay on 4 wheels thank you very much. (What scooter incident? Well, let's just say it was Willie's fault and it's lucky I wasn't hurt worse.)
Anyhow, my history on 2 wheels was not very promising, so I had never given much thought to the motorcycle. I have 4 kids to raise after all. But my husband loves his motorcycle and he always dreamed of us going for a ride together. He lined up a babysitter and I agreed to a date on the bike.
We went out yesterday. It was all of 40 degrees when we set out and me with no leather clothing to speak of, so it was a brisk ride to say the least. The first 20 miles or so I hung on so tightly to his jacket that my hands cramped. When we stopped he told me not to do that, I wouldn't fall off. So I stopped, which is good because if I'd done it the whole 50 miles I probably wouldn't be able to type today! I had to talk myself through the ride - Don't panic. Hang on. Lean in to the corner. Stay in alignment. Don't bang into his helmet. Teagan thought that was funny when I told him, but it kept me sane and on the bike!
In the end, I learned how to (mostly) relax and enjoy the ride. It was so interesting to not only see and hear the countryside, but also to smell it. That sounds funny, but it was what I really noticed as different from riding in a car. The smell of the corn fields, the horse barn, the forest... it was a whole new dimension.
I also learned a new level of trust in my husband. I had to trust his abilities as a driver and follow his every move to keep us upright and going in the right direction. It occurred to me that our whole marriage should be like that - me trusting his ability to "drive" this family and following so closely that it appears we are moving as one person.
So what do you think? Was I brave or was I stupid? I think I was a little of both. But it was worth it. My husband was blessed by my actions and attitude. It doesn't get any better than that.
(no, that's not us) Image courtesy of Canada Trust. Thank you google image search.
3 comments:
I used to ride all the time with my family- on the back of course. My dad would take me for rides all the time!! I loved it!!!!! I felt soooo cool as a teen. My brother Brian took me out once, and hit the back of a car ( not going fast, but fast enough that I fell on my butt infront of the Sky Club Rest. From then on, I won't ride with my brothers.
Sad to say, my dad has given up his motercycle to Scott because he was in an accident with mom on the back and it could have been really bad. He decided it was time to give the keys up and retire from riding- He has been riding a motorcycle since he was 10 or 12, was in a Harley gang, got saved and sold his Harley to go into the ministry. So, this was a big deal.
I am glad you went on the ride, I hope you will find it more enjoyable the next time(and hopefully warmer too)
Hey, Biker Mama! I think you were very brave. It is not easy to ride on the back of a motorcycle, but once you get the hang of it, it is a lot of fun. And the analogy you make between riding, trusting your partner, and marriage is so appropriate. Good job! Keep up the good writing.
Love,
Mom
P.S. - I assume you have a helmet?
Yes, of course I had a helmet. Teagan wouldn't let me ride without one.
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