Last ride with Dad

[kmac]

For my parents 50th wedding anniversary and my 25th anniversary my mom rented my dad a 2012 Harley FLHX and paid for a 3 day adventure up the California coast for the my dad and I.

 

Sounds great! I was in.

 

Back story, Dad has ridden all of his life and got me riding before I was 6. Dad had a nice Harley {if that is possible} up until about 6 years ago but his knees were just too bad to keep riding. He sold it and has since had both knees replaced. One {left} knee went great and the other {right} has been terrible.

Lately he has been missing riding and has been thinking of riding again. Dad is 71. I am 48 and have a '96 R1100RT.

 

So monday Aug 6 2012 was the big day. I rode from my house in Lake Smellsomemore {Elsinore} at 7:30am and I met dad at the Eagle Rider shop in Culver City near LAX at 8:45am.

The plan was to grab breakfast nearby, top off tanks and head north up coast hiway and end up in Monterey at some point then home by Wednesday nite. Easy right?

 

Well, not so much. By the time we got to breakfast just down the street at Dinah's I was terrified that I was going to have to witness my fathers death at some point in the 3 days. It was supposed to be a relaxing, leasurely putt up the coast with a father and son. It turned into a stress filled, painful excercise in controlled panic that I could not wait for it to be over.

 

We left the dealer and he just about dropped it leaving the driveway. He then forgot to downshift at the the first light and tried to take off in 3rd gear and after slipping the clutch halfway thru the intersection he finally stalls it and almost gets rearended and the just about falls over trying to get it down shifted and restarted. He wobbled and wandered and sputtered and stuttered to breakfast. I was freaked out.

 

We left after eating and headed down toward Santa Monica and up Hiway 1. He got a bit better on the road but still struggled with starting a nd stopping the entire trip. Part of the problem is that he just can not lift his right leg so lifting it to apply the rear brake is hard and lifting it to set it on the ground is hard so he was left trying to do everything with his left leg and that one is only a bit better.

 

We had a pretty nice ride up to San Luis Obisbo, other than the starts and stops, with only one pee/cold drink break in Ventura. Now the trip was supposedly a no limits, all expenses paid by my mom trip who is not poor. My folks are not rich but they are not poor. My dad says "let's see if there are any rooms at the Quality Suites on Monterey St that mom and I usually stay at". We pull in and they have a suite for $139.00. My dad says oh that is too much so we leave trying to find a Motel 6. Found it. YUCK. What a dingy dump that was.

 

This is about 3pm on monday and we unload some of our gear and stretch out on the twin twin beds and pop takes a nap after our LONG 3.5 hour ride. At about 5pm dad is hungry and want to go get a great steak dinner in Pismo beach so we ride down the 20 minutes or so and he takes me to McKlintocks steakhouse. He orders a Chicken fried steak special and so do I. Not so great.

 

Back to the hotel to realize I had missed the womens gold medal game since it was not on the Motel 6 channels and lay on the uncomfortable beds until lights out at about 9:30pm with a plan of waking up by about 8am and grabbing breakfast then heading up to Monterey for a nice late lunch/early dinner and then either ride back to SLO tuesday evening then home on wednesday....OR stay in Monterey tueday nite and head home from there early wednesday morning....NOPE.

 

Pop wakes up at about 10am and says "maybe we should rent the room here for another night and take a rest day today". No problem I say since I had a bad feeling all along that he was not going to be able to ride that far after almost 6 years out of the saddle. We get a Leasure breakfast at the IHOP down the street and come back to the Motel 6 for a nice 5 hr nap while I sat there quietly wishing I could ride, but could not leave dad alone, so I sat at the ugly, cold pool for a couple hours and looked at maps for some alternative ideas.

 

When dad woke up he was, guess what..? Hungry again. He has a great idea that we will ride up to Morro Bay and walk around a bit and get a NICE dinner. Great dad, sounds nice. We ride up US1 to Morro and drop down to the Embarcadero and find a parking spot. We walk straight accross the street and dad needs to sit down cause knee hurts and he tells me to find a restaurant. I, of course, run off to look. Sure enough there was a restarant right there behind us and I say right here dad. We walk in and the place look decent but dad sees that the prices are too high at about 20-25 bucks a plate so we leave. Pop sits down and I run around the corner and find a little bar n grill that had sandwhiches for $5 and great beer so we eat there. It was just OK for food but great beer with a large selection of micro brews like Sharkshead and others with 9 and 18% alcohol levels.

 

We ride back to the motel and are bedded down watching the idiot box with 8 channels by 8pm. Up at about 8am and back to the IHOP where we talk and decide together that this is probably dads last ride. It was depressing for both of us, but honest. He is just not up for it anymore and has lost that balance and hand eye coordination that this requires. His knees are barely able to hold up his weight let alone the weight of a bike.

 

Back on the 101 headed south by about 9am and with 1 very quick pee stop and cleaning the giant bug splatter off of his glasses and then 1 pee/fuel/drink stop in Calabasas we decide that he will break off at the 405 to head south home and I will head east to my home. We hug and ride together till the 101/405 split.

 

I am still scared to death following him to the split because his traffic riding decision making is very bad and as traffic gets worse as we get farther and farther into the valley he is just putting us in between trucks and in the slow lane while traffic is merging and everywhere a smart rider tries to avoid. I was all over behind him running blockade. I had to cut in front of a few cars a bit and block them out because he would have run into them if I had not, or at least it felt that way.

 

I got home at 2:30pm and have been depressed every since. Our many years of riding together are gone and over. I wish I had not gone on the trip. All of my great memories of rides with my dad over the last 42 years are now tarnished with this last terriffying ride. He had stopped riding and should have stayed stopped. Now all I can picture in my head is my last images of him looking awkward and out of control, riding timid and poorly rather than the aggressive and powerful rider he has always been.

 

I want SO badly to just look at this as a last hoorah, one final ride together but I can't. I just see my anguish and fear for 3 days and I am glad it is over.

 

Sorry for the long windedness, but I had to vent. Thanks for listening....or reading. Bash away.

[pickersgill1]

Thanks for sharing your experience, it time the memories will make you smile. We all are getting old and I see my children looking at me differently as I get old.

We now ride slower, more cautious and no doubt one day may have to consider a lighter bike than the 1150rt.

 

[George S.]

I'm sure you're just bummed right now and will come out of it, but don't allow the one ride to tarnish all the good memories you have of riding with him.

 

Also, looking back at the trip planning I hope you realize that several factors were working against you. 71 yrs old and hadn't ridden in 6 years. TWO replaced knees, one which is bad. A not only heavy but top-heavy choice of a bike, the Harley. You were recalling 1989, but unfortunately it's 2012.

 

I have ONE very cranky knee and I can not ride Harleys. I know this because I owned one. That was 12 years ago. BMW boxers do not bother me at all. Even now that I'm 12 years older, the BMWs do not cause me any discomfort. None.

 

I'm probably going to state what you now realize, that you should have eased your father into riding again, testing the waters with possibly an 800 size bike and not start off cold with a 3 day excursion.

[Paul Mihalka]

I have a gut feeling that it all started with Mom's loving decision to make the gift of the ride, without much knowledge of what is involved. Hard to say no to a gift like that. This can be a lesson to many of us.

Just forget this ride and keep the memory of all the rides before.

[bmw_rider]

So next last ride is two up.

[KeithS]

A loving gift from a wife of 50 years. A son who showed patience in a difficult situation. Your dad probably appreciates both of your efforts.

[sardineone]

First, I'd like to say your ride was very nice gesture by your mom and yourself in concept. Probably the wrong bike though. I have a good friend that has pondered over getting off motorcycles for health reasons of late. It made me introspective on the subject and I definitely want to stack the deck in my favor as I get continually older. That’s why it will be hard for me to own a heavy bike and one without ABS. An edge is a good thing to have on your side. I'm far from ready to hang up riding in my case even after 44 years under my belt. For me, I'll just strive to use some smarts to keep on going with the good times on my bikes. BTW my friend after much soul searching bought the lightest bike I can think of with hard bags, a Ducati Multistrada 1200 S. My R1200ST isn't a whole lot heavier and might be in my garage for quite some time if the trend of heavy sport tourers continue.

[DaveTheAffable]

...All of my great memories of rides with my dad over the last 42 years are now tarnished with this last terriffying ride. He had stopped riding and should have stayed stopped. Now all I can picture in my head is my last images of him looking awkward and out of control, riding timid and poorly rather than the aggressive and powerful rider he has always been.

 

I want SO badly to just look at this as a last hoorah, one final ride together but I can't. I just see my anguish and fear for 3 days and I am glad it is over.

 

Sorry for the long windedness, but I had to vent. Thanks for listening....or reading. Bash away.

 

The anguish you feel is a testament to the joy, and the relationship you have had. What would it say of you if you felt nothing? Or didn't care? Would you have let him make this trip with anyone else?

 

I don't see memories tarnished, but a relationship polished. Facing it together. There will be more difficult times ahead. Learn to embrace them now.

 

And if any of your "friends" here or elsewhere "bash" you... re-evaluate your friends.

 

My fathers dead. I'd take a last ride with him... if I only could.

 

You honored your father by attempting this trip. You've honored ME by taking a chance in sharing your experience and thoughts.

 

Thank you.

[Dundee387]

Just think you had all those years of riding with your dad.

 

Most never get this opportunity.

 

You are fortunate..

[DaveTheAffable]

So next last ride is two up.

 

+1

[g_frey]

Well I had one baseball game with my dad attending and one track meet and that is all. Count your blessings.

[kmac]

2 Up....not gonna happen. My dad is 6'3" and over 300lbs. I dont see him on the back of anything. Couple that with my 6'0" 200 ish # and most bikes are not up for that let alone me.

 

As far as the wrong bike choice, I agree but he will only ride Harleys and he could NEVER get his leg over my BMW. The FLHX he rode was an Electra model without a top box that had a low suspension. The seat height was SUPER low and overall easy to get on and off of. The bike felt WAS less top heavy at stops than my BMW. My bike feels light while riding where as the HD feels sluggish and heavy in turns but when stopped the HD was very neutral feeling and light on your legs to support.

 

He did not want to take any test rides, we discussed it and he was positive he was up for it. I doubted it so I kept my hopes very flexible. I had a strong feeling he would be in pain and not able to make the whole trip. The hard part is having to see how far his skills had dropped off.

 

He felt the HD with its relaxed riding position would be the best for his knees and that is what he is the most used too. He went and sat on them all and thought that would be best.

 

It will get better I am sure, just felt like I was watching a continual train wreck.

[kmac]

BTW, Thanks for the support folks.

 

I thought people would bash me for bellyaching about going on a ride.

[sardineone]

Actually I'm a bit jealous of your ride. I'm on the other side of the equation just somewhat younger. My son started riding on the late side in his mid 30's and we have little time to ride together. I go on at least one good bike trip a year, sometimes more and he hasn't had the time to join me.

[malcolmblalock]

A powerful and sobering story, on many levels, for me. I would love to have ridden with my dad, but his riding stopped before I was born. He talked about it some, but not much. At almost 65, I can see my own slow decline. Not as strong. Eyesight not as sharp. Hearing getting worse each year. My son followed my car last weekend from the lake to his house, and I was embarrassed by two stupid errors I made, and knew he was thinking "I didn't know dad's driving was not up to par".

 

I'm still ok to ride, I think, but have come to realize that two wheel travel will be more than I can manage in not too many years. And after that, at some point, I'm sure my son will inform me that I don't need to drive anymore. When that happens, much of the joy of my life will end, and I honestly don't know how I'll deal with that situation.

 

So, this story really hits home to me, with unfulfilled wishes with my dad and recognition that I'm entering the winter of my own life.

 

Between now and then, though, I will ride a lot (I usually do about 20K miles per year, go a lot, and enjoy the ride as it transpires.

 

Not sure why I felt compelled to write this, but, again, kmac's story hit a spot in my heart. Thank you!

[Bayou Red]

Typical story - I was away from home a lot during my son's formative years. Teenage years were a struggle and my son swore he was "outta here" come 18. He grew up, I mellowed out (some). I returned to motorcycles after a long hiatus and we found common ground. We did the MSF course together and I shared an '87 K75 with him. He told me I needed to buy another bike because riding alone was no fun. Secretly he asked my wife if I might be too old to ride . We have put a lot of miles on our bikes together. This November he will marry a wonderful young woman who is a natural pillion.

 

I don't know how many more miles are left in me, but my son and I will enjoy them together as often as possible with no regrets. Yes, kmac's thread does hit close to home whichever side we may be on.

 

 

 

[longjohn]

Riding motorcycles with your Dad? Do you know how many have never, or will never do that? Consider yourself lucky

 

My Dad and I shared our love of the Lakers, Bruins, Vikings, and SFGiants, and building and fixing things in the garage, but never in my wildest dreams would I have thouhgt of riding motorcycles together until I saw this thread.

 

A small part of his life is shared in "Through Hell And Deep Water". USS Harder (SS-257)

[kmac]

Sinman,

I am sorry if that sobering was painful for you. I did not mean to make anyone feel bad about their own situations in life. I am sorry that you are in that situation these days. I do not envy anyone approaching that time in life.

 

It is a reality for all of us unfortunately and even after 40ish many things start to change. I raced MX and loved it until I was well into my late 30s but injuries have caught up and I can not even ride dirt bikes anymore let alone race one and I am stuck just riding street bikes which is something I do love to do, but not nearly as much as MX and desert riding and racing.

 

I think my hardest part to deal with may have been the extreme jump in ability. What I mean by that is if you have kids you know they are growing but you don't always notice it until you look at a picture and realize that the time the pic was taken seemed like yesterday and now they are much bigger. Or you see a friends kid or nephew/niece that you have not seen in a year or two and they are SO much bigger. You notice the difference much more when you are not viewing it daily. The progress or regress is gradual and less noticeable. With my dad he had such a dramatic change in his time off of the bike it was like day and night.

 

Had he have kept riding and I watched the decline slowly I think it would have been easier to accept. It was like going to bed at age 40 and waking up gray headed and huntched over looking 80, well that may be an eggageration but you guys get the idea I think.

 

For any of you getting to that point in life, keep riding as much as you can, stay as sharp as you can, and do not think that if have been on a riding break for a while that you can just jump back on and pick up where you left off. Be careful for sure, but love this great hobby and lifestyle while we can....it does end for all of us someday. Appreciate it while we can.

 

Thanks all for letting me vent, I am feeling a bit better after getting some support for my feelings and some different ways of thinking about it.

 

Rubber side down friends.

[szurszewski]

I've got a few more positives for you:

 

Whatever you were doing, you got to spend three days with your dad. I think most of us on either side, would like the chance to do that more often...even if some of it had to be in a Motel 6 with crappy cable.

 

Your dad got to make his own decision about riding - our family has been lucky as folks have aged, that there have not had to be any transportation related interventions, but lots of families aren't so lucky.

 

The first time I read your post, I misread it to say that your dad HAD dropped the bike leaving the dealer. I work with people to get them back into driving (cars!) after knee replacements, and even that is hard - if he made it through your trip with the rubber down and the bars up, with two artificial knees and one that's not working well for him, that's a great accomplishment. (Sometimes my knees have trouble with my RT, and they're natural and only 35 years old!).

 

I hope, as others have said, once a bit of time has passed, you'll be able to look back on this trip and smile. Regardless of whether it was a good idea, it was a great gift. Those of us who aren't in the upper echelon of age yet should all be so lucky to receive such a gift someday.

 

josh

 

 

[Albert]

That was a touching story and I thank you for sharing it. My father died when I was still young enough to be way smarter than him. Perhaps my greatest regret in life has been the inability to apologize for being that smartass know it all. Cherish the time you have together and the memories will take care of themselves.

[Guest Kakugo]

Don't want to sound like a major jerk but I envy you.

My father became estranged to us when I was very young (long story, let's just say only after growing up I realized what a horrible person he had been and found out what he did to my mother and his own parents) so I have not even the faintest recollection of doing something together as commonly understood. I used to go fishing with my uncle, worked on the family farm with my grandfather in the summer but I have zero experience of any father-son interaction.

 

Don't feel bad. You can always go see your father, have a beer and talk about this epic ride: I understand you were concerned about your father's safety but I am sure soon this will all turn out into a story to be reminisced in front of the fireplace or in the garden under a starry summer sky.

[Quinn]

I'm sorry this didn't work out for your Dad. Sounds like he bit off more than he could chew. When I got back into motorcyling after a 17 year layoff, it took me a long time to build back up to any kind of comfort level. After taking the MSF course,I spent a month just riding around my subdivision's cul de sacs and some local roads. It was six months before I made an all day trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway and back. Getting back on an unfamilar bike didn't help my learning curve at all. I would have been smarter, and more comfortable, to have gotten a smaller, lighter bike instead of jumping back into the deep end of the pool on a full-size mile muncher.

 

I feel sure neither you or your Dad realized that it wouldn't be "just like riding a bicycle." But, if he wants to try again, you might consider renting a couple of scooters at a resort location with little traffic and low speed limits. Putting around, not shifting gears, would probably be enough of a hoot to scratch that itch. Especially if you're there to share it with.

 

I'm in the same boat with the rest of the oldsters here and wondering how much longer I'll be able to ride and how I'll taper off from this addiction. I figure I've got two bad scares, three drops, or one good owie left in my riding career.

 

-----

 

 

[Tobias]

Kmac,

I would just be glad that I got him home in one piece. It sounds like the two of you have shared a fantastic history of riding together and I would leave it at that.

 

My dad passed away suddenly when I was 17 so I never got to know him as an adult - just as a smart mouthed punk. Now that I am almost the same age he was when he died I make sure I treasure the little things with my teenage daughter and son.

 

Don't lament that your shared rides are behind you; be happy that you had them.

[Selden]

Wow, I hope I don't give my daughter (or son-in-law) reason to write such a tale. Still, your dad survived the ride, and I'll bet you two will be able to reminisce about this ride for many years.

 

 

I turned 66 two months ago, and while I hope that the day I have to hang up my riding gear is far in the future, I know that it's going to happen some day.

[MadDuck]

I lost my father in 1996, he always wanted to ride a Harley but his back and knees were so bad in 1994 when I got my first Harley that he couldn't even sit on it.

 

Now that I am 62 with my first heart attack about a year behind me I face that choice too. I gave up BMWs and my Road Glide and got a much lighter Harley "switchback" Much lower center of gravity but still has that Harley feel.

 

If you never get to ride with your father again find some joy in the time you just had. Believe me you will wish for those three days again.

 

One word of advice, if you don't mind. Take your father by the Harley shop for a visit he probably has friends you don't know and most Harley folk love seeing and just being around the dealerships. Might even have a club he would like to attend again. There is a lot more to the Harley lifestyle than riding the bikes and he will meet others in the same situation he is in and they will envy his having a son to do anything with.

 

Life is for the living make time for him to live a little.

[Matts_12GS]

Wow, I hope I don't give my daughter (or son-in-law) reason to write such a tale. Still, your dad survived the ride, and I'll bet you two will be able to reminisce about this ride for many years.

 

 

I turned 66 two months ago, and while I hope that the day I have to hang up my riding gear is far in the future, I know that it's going to happen some day.

 

If they don't we will. We've seen you ride ;-)

[OldBoldPilot]

Sad tale, on many levels. I don't think it has much to do with motorcycles, really. More, I think, to do with intimations of mortality: your dad's, and your own as well. There comes a time for those of us fortunate enough to grow old while connected to our parents when we first see the parent as "old"; when we realize that the tables have turned and that in many senses we've become the parent and the parent has become the child. It's a natural event, but at the same time an awful one.

 

I don't know whether my kids see me as old. I think they do, because now they seem alarmed rather than awed when I tell them I'm getting back on the Harley for another 2500-mile trip.

 

I'm 69, and six weeks ago underwent major surgery for lung cancer. While I lost part of my right lung, it was Stage 1A with no necessity for chemo or radiation. I expect to be back on the bike by the end of next month. I also expect I'll know when it's time to sell the bike and find something else to do. That time hasn't arrived yet, however.

 

Regarding your dad: I think I detect a hint of anger in your story -- anger, mostly, at the fact that your dad has grown old, that he's not the giant he once was. But now you're the giant. Take good care of your dad -- he needs you. I hope my kids will be there when I need them.

 

Thanks for posting such a personal story. As you see, it struck home with many people in a variety of ways.

[Mike]

Sad tale, on many levels. I don't think it has much to do with motorcycles, really. More, I think, to do with intimations of mortality: your dad's, and your own as well. There comes a time for those of us fortunate enough to grow old while connected to our parents when we first see the parent as "old"; when we realize that the tables have turned and that in many senses we've become the parent and the parent has become the child. It's a natural event, but at the same time an awful one.

 

Ain't that the truth. My dad passed away last year and the most difficult thing was seeing the decline, and finally having to accept that, unlike the man I knew forever, he wasn't going to bounce back. When you finally come face to face with that reality, it's a terrible thing.

 

But, while you might have found the whole thing a horror and more than a little terrifying, I guarantee you that it meant the world to your dad. Too often we abandon the old and infirm because it takes too much effort. There were times toward the end of my dad's life when I really didn't want to push myself too hard, but the smallest things meant a great deal to him. I only lament the fact that I didn't try harder. You did.

 

So, while on a purely objective scale--the bad food, the crappy hotel, the wobbly riding--it was a disaster, on a much more important scale, that measured by your demonstration of love for and devotion to your dad, it was a triumphant event.

[kmac]

Hey all,

Thanks alot for the input. You have all given me alot to think about.

Some validation for my feelings and some counter points for my feelings have been great.

 

I am sorry if the thread has sparked any pain or bad feelings in anyone, but the honesty here by all has been refreshing.

 

Thanks folks.

Kelly

[Bruce H]

So if you want to go again why not rent a jeep, open top, hair in the wind, bugs in your teeth. bring a couple of folding chairs, sit by the ocean. strength, size and weight won't matter. you'd be driving so wouldn't have to worry about him driving. it will work if you want it to.

[Alfred02]

Or why not try a trike for him?

In that way, he is still on a "bike".

You are still "riding" with him as a pair.

And he won't have to worry about tipping over...etc.

Bill Connolly (Scottish Comedian)has done a show traveling across America using a trike at the age of 68 ~ 70.

Having watched the show, he seemed to be fairly comfortable and really enjoyed his ride.

 

[Selden]

Wow, I hope I don't give my daughter (or son-in-law) reason to write such a tale. Still, your dad survived the ride, and I'll bet you two will be able to reminisce about this ride for many years.

 

I turned 66 two months ago, and while I hope that the day I have to hang up my riding gear is far in the future, I know that it's going to happen some day.

 

If they don't we will. We've seen you ride ;-)

You should have seen me on the Can-Am Spyder....

[ESokoloff]

...... it will work if you want it to.

 

That's my take on this experience.

 

I hope there is a next time & you accommodate your dad now that you know his limitations.

[lopaca]

I just see my anguish and fear for 3 days and I am glad it is over.

 

Take comfort in knowing that as difficult a time as it may have been for your dad, you have to know that in the end he was thrilled to have those 3 days with you. At some point in your life you will look back and wish you could have even just one more day with him. In the meantime, the "anguish and fear" will soon turn to grins, smiles and even some chuckles.

 

Kudos to you for making the trip, staying patient and going at his pace. At some point in time, for all of us, the child becomes the parent and the parent the child.

[Francis]

Be thankful you still have your dad and can have any kind of adventure with him...even if it is a bit nerve racking. I can imagine the trip for him is one he will long remember as one presented to him by a loving wife and shared with a loving son

[kmac]

Be thankful you still have your dad and can have any kind of adventure with him...even if it is a bit nerve racking. I can imagine the trip for him is one he will long remember as one presented to him by a loving wife and shared with a loving son

 

That is not true. He has been crazy depressed every since we got back. He is hardly talking to my mom and barely comes out of his room.

It has mad the tarnished my memory of this ride even more.

 

He got medical clearance for another replacement me and 2 new hips and he just says "why bother".

[Quinn]

At age 59, it took me a good 6 months to relearn how to ride a motorcycle after a 17 year layoff. If he wants to try again, he really needs to build back up to it instead of jumping off on a multiday trip with a hovering nanny watching every mistake. Not saying it's your fault, but the trip seems fore-doomed to me.

 

At his age, how are his car driving skills? My father's last driving experience ended up in a ditch when he got lost on his way to get a haircut four blocks from his house in a little biddy town. He pouted for weeks and sulked around not talking to anyone about it. I plan on being really depressed also when my world narrows to not driving/riding, but do realize that it will happen one day. Maybe that's all this is; a preview to him of what the future holds as it closes in.

 

------

 

 

[Francis]

KMAC, we cannot relly know what is going on inside other peoples heads. You and your mothers intent was honorable and offered with love. Age and the knowledge that your days on the planet are numbered take peopel to diferent places in how they react to lifes circumstances. He still needs the love and support you and your mother can give him.

[kmac]

Enjoy what riding you all can do now, while you can do it. My dad told my mom he is ready to die now. He is in alot of physical pain and the ride put him in a funk and has made him realize he can not do anything anymore. He feels a bit like why just lay here in pain waiting to die.

 

He says if he were a dog he should be put down.

 

It is not just me that was bummed after the trip. It has caused him to feel even worse about his situation and health. It has me really freaked out.

 

Not saying he is going to hurt himself, but he feels done now.

 

Enjoy this hobby, sport, passion, we have now while you can.