On a beautiful Monday morning I got to ride my motorcycle so that I could stand in a line holding a flag with some of the greatest people I have ever met.

I got to honor those that were willing to give everything (like my grandfather) so that America could stay free.

I got to meet Kicker (at least ONE of them) and Gigi and I got to see Pam again. *sigh* I LIKE meeting PGR ladies, they always give the best hugs!

I got to enjoy a good meal and then, I got to sit with a 91 year young man that trained pilots during WW II and tell him what his grandson is doing in Iraq. I got to explain what his quarters are like and what the work area looks like. Mostly, I got to bring a smile to his face and a gleam to his eye.

Like I said, all the way home (I know Shooter got tired of hearing it), “It was a good day!” It was a very, VERY good day…

Every time I get on my motorcycle I remember one major event in my joining the biker community. You see, I have wanted a motorcycle for decades. I was raised by my mother in a single parent home, and she wasn’t about to let her son do anything dangerous like ride a motorcycle, have a pellet gun, etc. So, I would watch these guys ride by (it was rare, but I was always fascinated), and I would imagine what it would be like to have my own.

Then I went to Germany, and the rules in Germany are simple: If you do not have a US motorcycle license, you are not getting a US Army Europe motorcycle license. *Sigh*

So I waited.

Then I went to recruiting school and became a (YEECCCCCCCHHHHHHHH) recruiter. As you can tell I hated it. I didn’t have the time to get my license and a bike.

So I waited.

Then, back to Germany.

And I waited some more.

Finally to Oklahoma. So, after the divorce dust had settled and I had my finances somewhat straight, I went looking. I found her, too. My pretty little pre-owned (read that as ‘used’) Vulcan 750. Not too big for a first bike, but not so small that I wanted to upgrade immediately, either. I figure that I will keep her until I can’t rebuild/repair her any more.

I don’t really remember swinging my leg over that first time, nor do I really remember rolling down the road. It was that first “Biker’s wave” that got me. I was a part of a community. A group that makes no distinction other than either you ride or you don’t.

I have noticed that most drivers don’t wave at other drivers because of what they drive, but bikers will wave just because I am riding. To most it doesn’t matter what I am riding, only that I am riding.

I don’t know if I can really explain why it meant so much to me. I am certain that I don’t know all of it, myself. What I do know is that I continue to enjoy the waves and the sense of community in a ‘hobby’ that is normally done alone, even when in a group.

SteelCowboy can tell his feelings on this, but I have to say that I love the feeling of acceptance. I also love that there are no expectations. You see, all that my ‘biker’ buddies want from me is for me to be myself and to help them if they need it. Simple, right? What everyone does for a friend. I have found it truly liberating to not have any expectations hanging over my head.

And it all started with a little wave…

Carlo

Veteran’s Day is coming, and that means that I have the honor of riding from Lawton, OK to Ardmore, OK and visiting the Veteran’s Home with 50 or 100 of my closest friends, you know, the Patriot Guard Riders. Now, most people would say, “How is that an honor? It’s your day off, you should be enjoying it.” My response to that kind of thinking is that the people that live in that home, and in other Veteran’s Homes across the United States, committed their lives to allowing us the freedom to have the day off, so the least that we can do is spend some of our time giving them some joy. If you are in the area, come on out, I’d love to meet you!

I have another reason for going, one that is much more compelling, at least to me. You see, while I was in Iraq, my unit supported a number of remote sites. On one of these remote sites is a young man that had to return to the US on emergency leave because his grandfather was experiencing health problems. The good news is that the grandfather was (and still is) doing well. The even better news is that the grandson helped the grandfather move into the Ardmore, OK Veteran’s Home. So, I get to go deliver a short message to a grandfather from his deployed grandson.

It just doesn’t get any better…

Well, I have returned from Iraq and my leave, and I got my internet up and running. Now I am able to surf the web and see who is saying what and how everyone is doing. I am also able to let you know all of the above about me. So, let me start this off by saying, “Thank you!” to everyone for your prayers and thoughts and worry and all while I was gone. I appreciate it, and I know that there are a lot of folks out there that have others that are in harm’s way, so remember them, too, please.

Now that I am back, everything seems to be speeding up, again. You see, I haven’t had time to sit down and contemplate the way that I normally do. I can’t take a lot of time with this particular post because I have to be on Ft Sill in about 30 minutes to welcome a unit back from Iraq. Yes, I am STILL deeply involved with the Patriot Guard. Check them out, if you decide to meet some, you will see that they are great folks…

Take care,

Carlo

We talk about freedom a lot in the US. You know what I mean, things like “We are free to do…” whatever the government doesn’t restrict. We also like to say, “Freedom is not free.” But what do we really mean?

I have discovered that no two people think of any particular abstract word, like freedom, the same way. I have met people that think that the government should restrict “unhealthy” food in order to prevent disease. I have met others that think that there is too much governmental involvement in their lives. I have met people that don’t think about it much.

Personally, freedom is a nice day, the open road, and two wheels. Yes, I know that I am in Iraq, and I don’t have access to any of them, but that is what I think of when I hear the word freedom. Let me explain, errrrrrrrr, clarify. You see I have been away from home for six months and change, now, and I have enough free time to sit back and think about things. When I think about things, I have a different perspective than most people do, and I think differently than most people do (just ask Phoenix and Gidget) so I reach different conclusions than most people do.

To me, freedom is not having to be somewhere at a certain time. Freedom is being able to do what I want. Freedom is the ability to choose without thought of consequences. Understand that I have no desire to go out and break laws, because that is an infringement on somebody else’s freedom, so that is a qualified “no thought of consequences.”

In my case, freedom would be taking thirty days vacation and riding my motorcycle from wherever to wherever and seeing the sights. Freedom would be taking each intersection and choosing randomly where to go, knowing that life is a journey and the trip is more enjoyable than reaching the destination.

Maybe I am going a bit far afield, here, but freedom is vital to my individual growth, and I surmise most people’s individual growth, and I would love to enjoy it my way.

So, to me, freedom is no set destination, good weather and my motorcycle. I will leave you with a comment that I found online, “People don’t ride motorcycles because they have to.”

What is freedom to you?

Carlo

Well, I went out riding tonight. I got a call from Paul, and the weather was agreeable (actually in the low 80’s, high 70’s) and we went out. Man, there is nothing like riding just to ride.

How often do people go out, get into their cars and drive, say, a hundred miles, just for the enjoyment of driving? I keep looking at all the people trapped in their cars, trucks, and SUVs, and I wonder, “What’s the rush?” They rush to get from home to work; from work to lunch; from lunch BACK to work; from work to run errands (rushing from store to store); from errands back home.

Well, Paul and I put almost exactly 100 miles on tonight (100.8 miles to be precise, or more CLEAR for Phoenix and Gidget), and, at 73 degrees at 70 mph, it got a bit, ummmmmm, BRISK is a good word. Wonderful, simply wonderful.

For those that want a picture, I didn’t have my camera, but I’ll try to give you the image.

Imagine, if you will, a light orange sky with a single swirl of clouds fading gently through green into a dark blue. Pasted above your left mirror is a crescent moon, and above that is a single shining star. Clear road, great weather, good company. How much better can it get?

Carlo

All in all, I have to say that I really don’t like green. I know, I know, green is the “color of life” and it shows a rebirth, especially at this time of year. However (comma), it also represents other things.

As you can see, southwestern Oklahoma is covered with green. That is not a problem considering that we need the rain. The problem is that I can’t afford rain gear, and my new lady friend is wasting away in the garage. So, as you (hopefully) understand, I am somewhat justified in disliking green, as selfish as that may be.

Carlo

Ladies and Gentlemen: contrary to popular belief, I AM still alive. This particular post is for all of you that have known me for a while. You see, I have, for a good portion of my life, wanted a motorcycle. I have a number of friends that kept telling me that riding is easy and that, since I can drive a stick, I won’t have any problems… Well, the rules in Germany are such that I never got the opportunity to get my license, without a license it’s pointless to get a bike, etc.

Well, I meant to post this last night, but I didn’t get home until after 10PM. I was out getting to know this lady…

So, I didn’t watch American Idol, like I meant to, nor did I do the cleaning that I need to do. Oh, well, you know how it is when you have a new lady in your life. She starts to dominate your thoughts and time.

Carlo