Friday, July 28, 2017

Surprises?

July 27, 2017

Most of the time, I don’t even think of it, but this afternoon it was blatantly obvious. I’m the poor country cousin among sidecar motorcycle enthusiasts. I am attending the National Sidecar Association’s national rally being held in Corning, NY. Pulling into the campground about 1:00 pm, I visited the lodge to get my campsite location, found the site, and set up my tent. It had been spitting rain most of the way here, so I wanted to get business done as soon as possible so I wouldn’t have to be setting up in the rain. A short ride into Corning to get a few supplies, and a call to Linda, and I was ready for the rest of the day. 

The rally area was still in process of being set up, but by 3:00, riders were arriving in a steady stream. Harleys, Goldwings, Indians, BMWs, and assorted other brands were represented, many with fully enclosed sidecars, most representing tens of thousands of dollars, not including the motor homes that hauled the trailers that held some of these bikes. Not another Ural in the bunch. The closest thing to my rig was a nice older BMW, which still made me look by comparison like I’d pedaled in on a Schwinn with a baby carrier attached.


No problem though. I had an enjoyable evening. Invited to join a few men for dinner, we sat outside their motor home and I listened as the alpha dog of the group regaled us with stories of biking, scouting, and the like. Particularly fascinating was his telling me about BACA, Bikers Against Child Abuse; how they support kids who are victims of child abuse by literally surrounding them with biker bodies, protecting them as they go to court or are otherwise frightened by the perpetrators. You never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll meet when you step out of your normal routine for awhile. And you never know where that will ultimately take you. I suspect there will be a few more surprises before the weekend is over. I don’t like being away from Linda, but it’s adventures like this that God often uses to open doors I didn’t even know were there. So I am thankful tonight to be here, and to see what God has in store.

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