A Motorcycle Kind of Feeling
Lisa Shultz | lisareneeschultz@gmail.com | @avada_tequila
When you think motorcycles, what comes to mind?
No doubt about it, there’s probably at least one hundred adjectives on the tip of your tongue. Like you, words are swirling through my mind. Yet, when I began riding, I had no idea what I was in for. All I really knew was that I had a yearning to shake things up -- to get out of my own bubble and do something different. However, what I found was something completely unexpected. What I found was a piece of myself I never knew I was missing.
There’s nothing noteworthy about why I started riding bikes. I think the story could be told about a thousand different ways, from about a thousand different people. But either way you tell it, the end result is the same. By the time I finished my basic rider course, I was hooked.
I bought my first bike just a few weeks after the course and spent a lot of time in the park trying to prepare myself for the idea of actually taking my new ‘74 Honda on the road. I mean there were cars on the road. CARS. Have you ever seen the crazy people who drive cars? Needless to say, I was terrified. Every moment of motorcycling for me has been 1 part terrifying 2 parts life changing.
When I try to explain becoming a rider -- actually purchasing my own bike and experiencing the open road -- to people outside of the motorcycle community, I’m often left with a blank stares. Afterall, how can I explain one of the greatest feelings in the world to someone who has never experienced it themselves?
So, to the best of my ability, here’s my explanation of what becoming a rider means to me. For those of you still considering if a motorcycle is right for you, I hope this conjures up the right kind of feeling.
Riding is …
A release - from whatever needs to be let go of. Whatever tension I’m holding, whenever my soul feels about to break, a good ride will release it.
An escape - my motorcycle is so much more than a getaway vehicle. It’s a moment in time that is completely mine; where nothing else really matters.
A fresh start - the road and your bike don’t care about what you ate for dinner, if you screwed up at work, or if all your friends hate you. It’s a new ride every time.
A way to connect - the people I’ve met, the places I’ve gone, all of these things done in the name of a good ride.
My main form of transportation - because what else is there?
A really good friend - when I don’t want to hear it from anyone else, I’ll listen to what the road has to say.
A source of happiness - few things can make me smile quite like having my knees in the breeze.
Freedom - no one can take away the countless good rides.
An adventure - it’s more than the journey and destination combined.
A state of mind - a wonderful ability to forget about your problems and see only one thing -- open road.
Medicine - life is filled with ups and downs, but I’m convinced the healing and therapeutic sense of riding can overcome it call.
Still considering getting your motorcycle license and a bike? I hope this persuades you, because there is truly is better feeling than being on two wheels.