The Ride

March 18.
Seriously, I am too old for that kind of weekend. 

Because the recovery from things I saw at O’s which cannot ever be un-seen isn’t fully over, let me instead tell you about Saturday’s ride at Lucky’s.  I arrived at the dealership around 9:45am and the staff was putting the final touches on everything inside.  Soup sampling tables, head shaving stations, corn hole for the kids, and Irish music could be found in various areas throughout the building.  Joshua unlocked the door, I walked in, smiles and hugs were exchanged, and the day was underway.

People began to arrive around 10:30.  The majority of the crowd, including Greyson and his family, began rolling in around 11:15.  Grey’s Aunt Kara and his two super cute about-his-age cousins came as well.  I was happy to meet more of the family, and it was really cool watching the kids run around and play together.  There was some serious (all in good fun) cousin-rivalry going on at the corn hole station; Grey has an arm on him!  Along with his newfound love of motorcycles, he might just end up a baseball player.

By noon, we were all pretty much ready to ride!  The weather, while chilly, held up nicely.  Everyone lined up and the grandstand was filled with waves and cameras.  A group from Decatur rode up just for this event and specifically, so Grey and his Dad could ride along in one of their side cars.  To see Greyson wearing his little helmet coupled with the HUGE smile on his face the entire time was, as the saying goes, priceless. 

By now you know that one of my favorite feelings in life is that of camaraderie.  I was lucky enough to ride with Charles/Chuck/”whatever you want to call me is fine”; he’s the road captain and one of the nicest, coolest, most genuine people I’ve ever met.  Oh yeah.  He’s alright on the front of a bike, too.  You want to make him or anyone else there laugh out loud?  Ask ‘em if they want to switch places and ride on the back of their own bike. 

I have my motorcycle endorsement and used to ride frequently.  It’s one of the most freeing feelings out there.  Saturday, the feeling was so overwhelmingly freeing, my eyes weren’t just glassy from the wind and chill.  As I sat on the back of this bike with someone I’ve not known long at all in control, I felt like I had known him and everyone around me forever.  I replayed the events of my sickness in my head; where I’ve been, how I got there, where I am now.  Every time Charles rode over a bump on those back country roads, I’d tear up a little more as it somehow connected me to every bump in my past which led me to that ride, that day, for another person who is in the midst of his own little journey right this very minute. 

At every stop light, I would glance over to my right and look at Scott – in his pink (breast cancer) helmet to boot – and realize just how similar we ALL are.  He had the most peaceful and complete smile on his face as he was surrounded by his camaraderie, doing something he absolutely loves, for absolutely the right reasons. 

And when I would crank my neck a little further to my right… I’d see Greyson back there in the middle of a long line of brotherhood, realizing and praying that this will all be his past someday.  We may all come from different walks of life, have different interests, different upbringings, religious beliefs, tax brackets, favorite foods, colors, or cartoon characters but one thing will never change:

We are in this thing together.

39 Days.