Article in ON

[waylap]

Holy smokes! I was just looking through the latest issue of ON and saw an article in the front few pages that saddened me. I saw a beautiful photo of a father and daughter that apparently loved riding together and were recently killed returning home from an event. I noticed it right away because my daughter and I ride all the time and it's one of the things we love doing most together. The relationship and memories we share, the adventure, the challenges and sometimes dissapoinmtments on our trips are priceless. We both know there is an inherent danger in riding but we do all that we can to protect ourselves. I pray that we remain safe and I pray for their family.

[Bullett]

That's sad news.

[lvnvbiker]

That sucks, but they did die doing something that they loved. (I know, cheesiest line from a movie ever but it is how I feel.) The reality is that we all die sometime and I do not mean to trivialize the VERY sad event in any way. If you look at it from my very odd perspective it is way better to go while pursuing one of life greatest joys than to keel over at at desk that you despise, or doing whatever job that you do to pay the bills but don't love. I know I am odd..

[Pennys Dad]

Thats terrible news.

My son has just started riding with me in the canyons and my wife is back in the pillon position. I think about that possible reality. *sigh*

[Mike T]

I used to ride with my son on the back of the bike. He's now 18 and rides his own bike (most of the time with me in the lead). If I dwell on the worse case possibilities I would sell both of our bikes (which would make my wife happy). But, this is what we do and who we are. I think you have to have a little of "when your time comes it comes" attitude if you ride a motorcycle in the first place. Also, my dad is 85 years old and has Alzheimer's. When ever I have to visit him it reminds me to just keep riding.

[Rich06FJR1300]

yes i heard about this from one of the attendees of the event. They were from Easton, PA, very close to our area. Very sad news.

[Selden]

That sucks, but they did die doing something that they loved. (I know, cheesiest line from a movie ever but it is how I feel.) The reality is that we all die sometime and I do not mean to trivialize the VERY sad event in any way. If you look at it from my very odd perspective it is way better to go while pursuing one of life greatest joys than to keel over at at desk that you despise, or doing whatever job that you do to pay the bills but don't love. I know I am odd..

Not odd at all. We all have a finite existence. The two deaths I most admire are first, Malcolm Forbes, who threw an obscenely expensive (reportedly, he chartered a Boeing 747, a DC-8 and a Concorde to fly in eight hundred people) 70th birthday party at a palace in Morocco, was still riding, and died suddenly six months later. The second was Fulton Freeman, former ambassador to China, and president of the Montery Institute of Foreign Studies in the early 1970's. Freeman was an avid golfer, and had a massive heart attack while leading, on the 18th hole of the Carmel Valley golf course.

 

The worst part of unexpected sudden deaths is the impact on family. The death of a child is terrible; there's nothing tragic in the death of an old man.

[Deek]

"...there's nothing tragic in the death of an old man...."

 

An interesting statement. Makes me think....and I think you are correct. I suppose it might be tragic if one wasted his life....but that could have been prevented simply by his taking action earlier, right?