There’s a phrase I’ve always hated, “the best time of my life was when……” Fill in the blank with whatever era of your life you might idolize. Don’t misunderstand, I don’t mean to devalue any period of your life you might have enjoyed, but it seems to me if you’re constantly looking backwards, what’s there to look forward to or enjoy in the present?
Maybe this is one of the reasons people dread aging, believing their best years are behind them. For me, every passing year has brought new adventures and challenges that continue to shape me. Whether that’s a near death experience on the motorcycle, a morning spent with the crew team on the Anacostia, or a heartbreak that completely turns your world upside down. Through the good and the bad, I always look forward to tomorrow.
I know it sounds like I’m an optimist, a glass half full person. Those who know me well will probably be the first to tell you that isn’t true. Personally, I consider myself a realist. I don’t believe in happy endings, but then again, I don’t think I need a happy ending. I want the journey. I want the never ending journey. Through the changing scenery, I’ve learned how to enjoy the here and now, including the storms. Not perfectly, but I’m better than I was.
This weekend, I have another opportunity to enjoy the passing scenery, some of it at 60 MPH. Friday morning, I’m packing up my motorcycle for my first ever full weekend trip to Rehobeth Beach in Delaware. For the second time ever, I get to cross the Bay Bridge, ranked one of the top ten nerve-wracking bridges in the nation. I get to ride across Maryland’s Eastern Shore with nothing but time on my hands.
It’s been nearly two years since I’ve embarked on a motorcycle trip, and to say the least, that was a trip of calamities. Between burning up a saddle bag holding the majority of my clothes within the first 50 miles of the 2,000 mile trip or being protected by tractor trailers on I-81 N as we all pushed through a blinding thunderstorm. While my fingers are crossed for less calamities, that 2000 mile trip across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia is one of my favorites.
During that trip, I encounter some of the best and some of the questionable who reside in the southeast. At one stop, a gentleman approached me with an unsheathed dagger dangling from his belt, wearing cammo, and a cut-off t-shirt. The person who stereotypes would tell me I should be wary of as a LGBT person in the backwoods of North Carolina. Instead, he told me about how much he loved his motorcycle but that he loved his wife and family more. When his children were born, who were both staring at us from the front passenger seat, he promised his wife he would give up the bike until both were 18. Childhood lesson number one, never judge a book by its cover.
I don’t need a near death experience to enjoy the journey this weekend or any weekend, but I’m ready for whatever fate has in store. However, fate, if you are reading my blog, please note this isn’t me daring you.
There are scores of adventures I’m looking forward to this summer and beyond and I’m sure that list will continue to grow as time passes. I don’t want to ever look back and catch myself uttering the phrase, “that was the time of my life.” Well, maybe when I’m on my death bed, but (knock on wood) that’s still some time in the future. I enjoyed the adventures I have but there are still more on the horizon. More places to go, see, and experiences to shape me and my outlook on the world.
More room to try and taste new things. My glass will never be empty, even if it’s only half full.  There’s more room in the glass to taste and try what this world has to offer, more room to fill it with more experiences.
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