True Story
I rode my motorcycle up to Montana and then over to South Dakota to Sturgis. After I got about 1100 miles on the bike, someone notices my back wheel out of whack. I ride back to the campground and find a problem that is going to require me hauling my bike home instead of riding it home. I was relieved to be sitting in a canvass chair looking at my broken bike. The logistics of getting it home were going to suck. I felt lucky as hell to be sitting in that chair lamenting my luck with my friends. It would have been catastrophic to have it break at 85 MPH on Interstate 90.
I get home by catching a ride in an RV. After a 2 hour turn around, Mom and I are leaving in the Jeep to pick up a rented trailer to go and get my motorcycle. Pay particular note to what Mom does through out the rest of this story. Of course you love her but to you she is the gatekeeper, the one who will bring up all of those pain in the ass things you want to think about later and not deal with right now. She carries the load for all of those pain the the ass things that we all want to postpone. I see her in a much different light than you do, there are sides to her that I hope you will see, discover, and appreciate. Of all the things I found remarkable in her, the things that drew me to her, not a one of them had to do with Mom stuff. That came later when you guys were born. Back to the story.
We leave at 7PM, pulling a trailer through 5 hours of really bad weather. I am tired and we are each driving 2 hours each. We arrive in Sturgis at 2AM load up my bike and we are on the road at 3AM heading back home. We used the drive time to get caught up (I had been away for a week), it was great. We stopped at 5 AM to sleep for an hour before the last 5 hours to home. We traveled at night to beat the heat of the high desert because the air conditioning was not working on the Jeep.
A little after 6AM, a tire blew out on the trailer hauling the bike. No idea why the trailer did not flip - it should have. We are 50 miles outside of Newcastle, Wyoming and pulled over to the side of the road. There is no phone service where we are at, so I unhook the trailer. The plan is to drive to back to Newcastle and get breakfast and call UHAUL to fix the trailer. I unhook the trailer and turn off the Jeep. The battery is dead and the Jeep will not start. I put my forehead on the steering wheel and notice I am wearing two different shoes. I look over at your mom with a pained expression and she grins - a broad genuine smile - and says no problem we will deal with it.
I wish I had a picture of her in the middle of nowhere (actually Mule Creek Junction- not a town but what the wide spot in the road was called) walking to find the tallest point of the road where she has phone service. UHaul was called and she got her pillow out and took a nap. 2 hours later a Sheriff stopped and we got a jump, he said he would watch the bike while we drove to get gas. On the way back, we pass the Sheriff and he stops us and says the tow truck drive is hauling the trailer (with the bike) back to Newcastle to try to find a tire. We drive another 50 miles back to catch up with the bike/tow truck.
Back in Newcastle, they cannot find a tire and options that are being put on the table the worse case scenario. After a overdue breakfast 3 hours later we have my bike in a different trailer. We are now riding back through the high dessert with no air conditioning during the hottest time of the day. Your mom is Cool Hand Luke through the entire thing. Not only keeping a calm head but having a tremendous sense of humor through the whole thing. We laughed our way through hell, never once losing sight of what was important on that trip.
I am superb when things go to hell. I am the guy you want standing next to you when you face a challenge, hurdle, or a crisis. Because we will always find a way to manage it and get to the desired result.
If all hell was breaking loose and I could have a pick of all the firefighters I have known to help get me through. I would pass and pick mom.
Remember, things and people are not always what they seem to be. For most people, there is a depth that may exist below the surface. I have known your mom for 25 years. Having seen the side of her that takes risk, the easy going way she takes on stuff that other people cannot or will not do, and courage that rivals anything I have seen in the FD, I appreciate her quiet, unassuming grace all the more.
Love Dad
No comments:
Post a Comment