Happy Fall to our Goldwing Friends!

On Sunday, September 5, we will meet at The Store on Hwy X to ride to Big Falls for all the corn on the cob you can eat.  They also serve burgers, fries, pie, and ice cream.  Then on Sunday, September 12, we will have our social at Sam’s Pizza at 3:30 p.m.  Come early if you would like to order pizza.  Sunday, September 26, is our annual chapter picnic.  This year it will be held at the Town of Maine shelter on Hwy K, north of Wausau.  Please bring a dish to pass.  The chapter will provide the meat and the pop.  Please let us know if you plan to attend, so we will know how much to buy.

Our fall ride will be a day ride this year on Saturday, October 2.  We will meet at Arby’s by Fleet Farm at 9:00 a.m.  Then on Sunday, October 3, we will have our 2011 event planning at 3:30 p.m. at Sam’s Pizza.  Our Halloween party will again be at Kim and Bernie’s on Saturday, October 23, at 5:00 p.m.  Please bring a dish to pass.  Costumes are optional.

Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary to all who are celebrating in September.

Ride Safe in 2010!

Wayne and Sandy Tepe
Chapter Q Directors
 

Some say that God (my apologies if I offend anyone by referring to God, but that is my belief system) works in strange ways.  I guess that today could be described as one of those particular "strange ways".

Being a stockman at the local Wal-Mart, I spend my day outside in the parking lot retrieving carts, exchanging propane, doing customer carry outs, and occasionally helping customers if they appear to need it.   On this particular day, the humidity was 100% or at least close to it. The temperature had to have been at least in the low to mid 80’s.  It was hot, humid and very sticky.  Generally, there are two or more of us stockmen during the day shift.  Today, there was only me.  Every break I went on, no one covered for me.  So after every break, I was behind.  After seven plus hours of constant sweating, dealing with the heat, having been disciplined out in public for breaking a policy I didn’t know had changed, you can imagine I was not in the best of moods.

By this time, all I am looking forward to is getting done and going home.  That is when I met a man who reminded me that not only am I blessed for having my health, but more importantly, how little it takes for life to take a major change.

I don’t know this man’s name.  I only knew him as someone that needed assistance (carry out).  When I approached him, he obviously had little to no use of his right side, since he was attempting to load his car with a 12 pack of pop using only his left side.  I approached and asked him if he needed some help.  He stated yes, he needed someone to return the electric cart to the store.  I told him I would be happy to do that for him and he smiled and thanked me.  I also noticed his pop sitting on the roof of his car and I asked if I could help get it into his car for him.  Again he smiled and thanked me.

Here is the "God working in strange ways" part.  Without a question or inquiry from me, this gentleman started explaining how he came to be (dare I say) handicapped.  You see, he explained to me, that he had been riding motorcycles most all of his life (since 1962), that he had logged over 500,000 miles on 4 Harleys.  But a couple of years ago while on his latest Harley, it fell over on him.  He stated that he was only doing about 5 miles per hour, but the 800 pound bike ended up breaking his hip, injuring his back, shoulder, leg, and arm.  The amazing part of that is, at the time of this crash, he had been wearing his helmet.  He stated that "normally" he and his buddies did not wear their helmets, but on this particular day, he did.  This gentleman stated to me that if he hadn’t had that helmet on when this crash happened, he surely would have sustained severe head injuries also.  BUT…this crash is not what handicapped this gentleman.  He went on to say that 13 months after his crash, he suffered a stroke.  In his words, he will never be able to ride again because now half of his body is useless.

The whole time this gentleman was telling me his tale, not once did he frown or show signs of regret.  As he stated, with a smile on his face, he may never ride again, but he will always have the memories of all the bikes and miles he and his friends put on.  He also smiled when he informed me that after his friends saw what happened to him with the crash and stroke, they now wear their helmets on every ride.

We hear of these types of stories all the time.  Sometimes it is someone we know, sometimes it is a stranger, sometimes it is one of us.  But it really doesn’t impact us until it hits us square in the face.

If I wrote this story correctly, I am sure there are several life lessons that can be found.  Today the most important ones to me are:  1) how easily life can turn on us, and 2) enjoy life while you can in every way you can, because we just can’t tell what tomorrow will bring.

I hope this story helps, and please, wear your helmet (that’s all the nagging you will get from me ).

Tom Lowell
Motorcycle rider
Helmet wearer
Chapter Q Educator