I've noted before that my childhood hero was Evel Knievel. I guess mostly for him being a daredevil and pushing the extremes of what society expects from an individual. I've always tried to push the envelope of what the norm is. Always challenging myself to be a better dad to my kids, a better person even though I believe in Sonny Barger's philosophy of "Treat me good and I'll treat you better; treat me bad and I'll treat you worse." Whether you believe in that or not is of no consequence to me. Let me live my life and I'll let you live yours. Just don't try and step into my world and expect me to conform to your standards. I choose my friends very carefully. The few I do call friends know who they are and know that I will bleed with them if needed. Yes, to that extreme is how I believe friendship and brotherhood works. Do you hold yourself to that standard? If so, good for you.
The year that has passed has come with changes for me. I have been able to sit across the table and shared a meal with my son and I am extremely proud of the man he has grown up to be. The woman I have loved for a majority of my life, I was finally able to explain the reasons I walked away 20 years ago. And she understands. And I am thankful for a new start on our life.
But this is not the reason for this posting. I've picked up the book Chopper Shaman again. A revisiting of who Larry Desmedt is. The world knew him as Indian Larry. The chopper builder from NYC. You see, I've been in love with bikes since I was a kid. Two wheels, speed, freedom. From the first YZ I owned to the street fighter Honda to my first Harley. I needed perfection. I needed performance. I needed the road moving beneath two wheels at a quickening pace. Indian Larry believed in perfection of mind, body and soul. He freely admitted his past transgressions. Even to the point of having a daily reminder to himself by the tattoo on his neck. It read, "In God We Trust - Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord - No Fear." The middle two lines were in reverse so that he could read them when looking in a mirror.
In a 2001 interview for American Iron magazine, he was quoted "It's all about chopping and eliminating what you don't need and getting to the essence of the machine." Great philosophy for a motorcycle. An even better philosophy for life.
So in 2011, I am going to eliminate what I don't need and get down to the essence of pure performance. Watch for the results. It's gonna be a great ride!
Here is to a fantastic 2011.
Have fun and enjoy the journey!
Mike
