Well, Ladies, this month marks my second year with Cycle Connections. How am I doing so far?
When my old friend and fellow Cycle Connections contributor, Eric Rossiter, first mentioned that this column would be up for grabs, I had my doubts about his sanity. But my friend and chauffeur, Don, concurred, and I thought “What the hell. I’ll try it.” Well, Mike hasn’t asked me to go yet, so I guess I will be staying.
Like everyone else, I went through a lot in these past two years. I almost became a true rider before I got stupid. No sooner was I back on my feet, albeit not very steadily, than I lost my mother unexpectedly. I have been laid off my regular job, rehired, laid off again and am now back to work. My twins have graduated high school and will soon be off to college, my son in Boston, my daughter here in New Jersey. The house will be quiet, the grocery bills will be lower, but the college bills enormous, and I won’t have anyone besides my dog to boss around.
I have tried to be informative and not use this column solely as my personal soapbox. Perhaps it is a Libran trait, but I tend to see all sides to an issue and want to present them so that my readers can see all sides as well in order to make informed decisions, better their experiences, and share with others what they (hopefully) have learned.
I think I like the Women in Motorcycling History series the best because I truly learned things I had never given a thought to before I started the research. These women are so inspiring in their uniqueness and their determination that I find myself trying to find out more and more about them and then go seeking out other female pioneers.
Safety is always my primary concern and more so since my accident one year ago. It truly brought home what can happen in less than a second that can change your life forever. I still cannot walk well and will never be seen in a dress again unless I can wear my boots with it. If just one person learned from my errors by reading my article, I have done my job.
I thank Eric for having faith in my abilities and keeping me on track, and I thank Don for making sure I enjoy every ride, keeping me safe and indulging my “Stop here!” moments. I thank Mike for giving me my chance when all he really had to go on was the word of another. And I thank you, my dear readers, for sticking around. Cycle Connections has really grown in the past few years and the last two has seen even greater growth. I’d like to think I helped. *wink wink*
By Louise Reeves
