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What’s in a personal type of identification anyway? How is it we learn to identify ourselves as a member of this societal grouping or that one? Why is it important to us and our feeling of well being?
Hell I don’t know, when I was in college, I thought to explore these questions once. I never got very far on those questions after I discovered in my Sociology class that this kind of inquiry had been explored by others before me. I’ve read their findings and thought them to be full of shit, so, I guess it’s an easy question to ask, harder to answer, and impossible to understand why the human race even needs to classify who we are, what we do, and where we do it at…in order to accommodate a feeling of well being among ourselves.
All I know, is I’m a biker. I used to be this kind of biker; back in the day…I was about 12 when those days ended.
When I was 14, I became one of these kinds of biker. Cute huh?
Today however, I’m still a biker, just harder to define. This is me today. It’s cold outside, and I’m covered from head to toe, ready to do battle with Sir Winter. Each year, he forces me to encase my body in more armor to protect myself from his attacks to my joints, mind and body in general.
I don’t think I’m winning the war the old fashioned way. Perhaps I should give in and start using more technology against this foe who never seems to tire in strength, grow old, or weary of beating me up to a near frozen death. I’ve been fighting the heated throttle, heated seat, wind shield, electric vests, socks, new techno fabrics that somehow keep you warm at below freezing temperatures. I still don’t own any of those things, in fact even my gloves are the old standards that were around about the same time as say the Knights of Mid Evil times. Only they aren’t made of steel.
I’m a throwback of what I remember as easier times. At least that’s what I tell myself, and others who ask me “WHY?” Its way too none of your business, that I…as a journalist can’t earn enough money to afford those kinds of benefits. You know how most biker journalists get those cool things? They are asked to write a review on the product. So the manufacturer gives them the product to install, wear, what ever…in order to get a glowing report from the journalist. We pimp ourselves out like your basic street corner whore. I used to do this from time to time, but I’ve discovered I don’t like myself after I’ve done it.
So these days, I really don’t get asked to review too much anymore. I kind of regret it when I see pictures like these of myself!
Ahhh, but you know what? I don’t have to worry about it for about six months or so! It’s spring! The clocks have all sprung forward,
the bulbous plants have bloomed around here, and some have started to fade already…still waiting for the tulips though…
it’s getting warmer everyday…I think I’ve seen the last of the single digit numbers for at least six months! So away go the thoughts that plague me during winter, away go the feelings of wistfulness regarding warmth. I get to ride through the forests and watch as the invisible and industrious elves of the woodland dress the trees in buds of glory…I get to watch the young nubile leaves come out and dance in the dappled light of spring. I watch as they mature into their preteens, a wild and undulating dance unleashes their bodies as they salsa in breezes too light or too high for us mere earth bound humans to feel or comprehend their joy of life. Don’t you love spring?
I’ll let you know what I think about summer as soon as it comes around…right now, I’m too busy admiring spring!
Editors’ note: Most all the journalists I know who do this pick and choose the products carefully...so they are not forced to write things that go against the grain of their nature and feelings regarding the product. NOT ALL JOURNALISTS WILL SAY GOOD THINGS ABOUT A PRODUCT THEY ABHOR!
(photos 1. Chessie
2. Army Arch
3. Jake Perks
4. Chessie
5. Chessie
6. Extra medium
7. Candy trash
8. Unknown
9. Jeff Kubina
10. Mr. La Rue
11. Bobesh
12. Whisperbee
13. Edward Dullard