Dad here; things have been a bit chaotic at the Casa. Charlie and company have been posting three times a week for the last two plus years, but last weekend was the first Sunday we missed since the very beginning.
We still believe in the importance of the message of Charlie Bravo, but when Max and Bultaco were removed from the scene, it seems that they took a little of our mojo with them. Although Ajax is a wide open little bundle of energy and Sandy has many of the qualities and characteristics of Stevie Mae, they are both young dogs and haven’t yet found their respective voices. Never fear, they will; only through time and experience can their impact to grow. Stay tuned.
So, like a sprinter coiled in the blocks, we wait for the crack of the starter’s pistol to send us on our next mission. Until then, we will continue to do what we always do, service every need as it arises and we will find our ministry.
My mom, doing what mom’s do to keep their kids safe, suggested that we take Miss Ellie on our trips instead of the motorcycle. I have thought long and hard on that, but the impact of a dog in a car, even a car as awesome as a 32 year old Subaru with a story like Ellie’s, is not the impact of a dog on a bike. Ultimately the choice is Charlie’s, and if you ever get a chance to see how she reacts when my key hits the ignition, you will see that it’s really no choice at all.
So this is why I have began a search for a more suitable bike for our travels; the wheelbase on the DR650 is short as to enable the bike to be nimble, but it makes it difficult to make the her Chauler(get it? Charlie Hauler? I kill myself) both large enough to be comfortable but small enough to keep her weight centered over the rear axle. On the last trip, she basically spent seven days on the bike sitting straight up, and I would love to make her a bit more comfortable, although I have my doubts that she would lay down even if she could; that girl doesn’t want to miss a thing. A bench type saddle is also a necessity, as most motorcycles have a some type of “king and queen” configuration where the passenger sits higher than the pilot. I try to keep Charlie down low behind me to protect her somewhat from the elements, as she absolutely refuses to wear her Doggles or Rexspecs.
I sometimes worry about the lynch mob that would appear at my gates should anything ever happen to Charlie as a result of our adventures on the bike, a legitimate concern, as life is what happens when you’re making other plans. To paraphrase Shakespeare, “to thine own self(and Charlie) be true”. This is what we do, and to hide behind a shield constructed of “what ifs” is not how we want to roll through what time we have left in this life.
Helen Keller is a prime example; even though she lived blind, deaf and mute in what most would consider to be the most confining of crates, she penned the following words:
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”
I would love to have had the chance to take Ms Keller for a ride.
Chark diem!
