Connections
Motorcycle riders seem to make connections in a variety of places. I may pull up to a gas station and see one or two other riders and we end up in a conversation. Or it may happen in a parking lot. Where are you from?
“Where are you from? Where are you going? How has the riding been?”
These are all typical questions that lead to more conversation about each other’s bike. It happens a lot. I have made a few connections on this trip. For example, Louise, who I met in Haines Junction, told me the story of her family and how in the 1940’s the government on the border of Alaska and the Yukon split up her family and told them where they were to live. It was obvious this had truly affected her. Or Charles, in the laundromat works 7 days a week 8 hours a day to help his wife who is on dialysis. He shared a drink with me. It was very kind of him especially since I did not ask. And everyone has a story.
Here are a few pictures of other connection’s I have made over the last 10 days.
The first picture is the bike of a guy who lives in Argentina, bought this bike in Arizona and had it shipped to Anchorage. He will make his way south then north to Michigan and leave the bike to return next summer to ride Route 66.
The second picture is of the bikes two Brazilians are riding.
They rode through South America and will end their journey at Prudhoe Bay. I have no idea where they go after that. The third picture is of a vintage Indian.
It has three caps on the tank; two for gas and one for oil. Oh and it has a stick shift. He had to basically rebuild the bike in British Columbia. He left with three others from Pennsylvania to ride to Prudhoe Bay and back. Three of the bikes were vintage Indians!
The final two pictures are of Clay. He and I met Thursday in the parking lot at the local Super 8 motel in Dawson Creek.
He asked what time I was leaving in the morning and our connection began. We rode the last four days together, ate meals together, stayed at the same motels and prayed with each other. I got to know about him, his faith story and journey and his life. And he got to know about my life, family, faith community and my reason for riding. After four days of riding together he became my friend. And though we separated yesterday in Anchorage we are still in communication with each and will be until we each return home. Clay is a new friend from Texas.
Connections are healthy.
Grace and peace,