Did the first poker run of the riding season today. I’ve always loved poker runs. It’s a perfect combination of getting in a bunch of miles with multiple destinations, going places you’ve never been, having the camaraderie of a bunch of bikers kicking back and sharing a meal at the end of the trip, music, a little gambling, and of course, a chance for prizes. The best part of it all is it’s for a good cause.
This run was for Breast Cancer. That’s a cause I wholeheartedly support, and I try to find as many events as I can. My maternal Grandmother had breast cancer, and it’s listed as her cause of death (long story here, but it was a multitude of events post mastectomy that were just too much for her to handle). I was called in for ultrasound after a questionable mammogram several years ago. Then, after the ultrasound, I had to go in for a needle guided biopsy. It took what seemed like forever to get the results, and an eternity sitting in the doctor’s office waiting for her to come in to give me the results. “It isn’t cancer, but, we need to remove it or it will be.” I needed a lumpectomy. I had a bit of a meltdown on my drive home, lucky I could even see the road, actually. The procedure was fairly normal for everyone involved, but not for me. I had to go in very early in the morning, go to ultrasound so they could insert a wire in the exact location of the lump, then be wheeled to the OR for the surgery with this protruding piece of wire, surreal for sure. I was full of anxiety and nerves, but the staff at the St. Anthony Breast Care Center was warm, and caring, and made me feel so much more comfortable, and less alone.
Thank God, that for me, the final results of the lumpectomy were negative and I could go on with life as I knew it. A huge relief. Now, I take into consideration how much comfort a quality staff and facility means to a patient. ALL donations to breast cancer help develop skills and tools to help the patient, or gives the patient basic needs such as free mammograms or donated wigs so those in chemo can get some feeling of normalcy. So, if you can, give whatever you’re able, because every dollar is like a warm and caring embrace to someone in a desperate moment of need.
On my ride today, I spent some time absorbing and savoring the sensations that I’ve missed so much over the winter. The wind in my hair, the sun on my face, the silky soft warm air on my skin, the sporadic pockets of floral perfumed air, good music from my iPod, and the sound of my bike and the wind becoming one from underneath me, and traveling up through me. There are all sorts of explanations of what it feels like to ride a motorcycle. I think it must be as close to flying as you can get without actually leaving the ground. If I could, I would close my eyes and spread my arms out in the open and soar. It’s the feel and sound of the wind rushing past, almost through you, and taking in every sensation of your environment. You are so absorbed in that moment of living that the machine beneath you is no longer noticeable, it becomes an extension of you, and then you alone are being propelled forward through space, all time stands still and you simply feel, observe and live in the moment. Well, that’s my take on it anyway. It brings me to a place where I appreciate all the little things so much more, and feel closer to the Universe, or God, or whatever you want to label our creator.
It’s living in the moment and loving life, and feeling like life is giving you a warm and caring embrace. You don’t have to ride to feel that way. I suggest you go out and find something that you do that makes you feel good, and feel the powerful embrace of life. For me, it’s riding.
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