Mommas, Please Let Your Babies Grow Up to Ride Motorcycles

by Melissa
(Vancouver, BC)

Back in the bad old days, motorcycles were associated with big, bad guys who were not always thought of as pillars of society. But with more and more people looking for better gas mileage and more economical travel, motorcycles took on a more mainstream appeal. It was just the answer that people needed- and more people started thinking that among other things, riding a bike was super fun. You can find motorcycles practically everywhere, ridden by practically anyone. In the bad old days, mothers warned their boys and their girls against riding motorcycles or even associating with those who did so.

My mother took all of my oddball quirks with great grace. I am going to be a major league pitcher- Mom would sit out in a lawn chair watching me pitch into a tire for hours on end, shouting what she thought was inspirational slogans. (They were not.) When I changed my direction, Mom changed right with me. I miss her greatly.

I started riding a motorcycle when I was fairly young, and I know that she was nervous and afraid, but she never said a word against the idea. After I became a mother myself, she confided in me that she thought of riding a motorcycle herself but had never worked herself up to do so. She was glad that I was never afraid to try- and she made me promise that I would never let my own children be afraid to try things either, no matter what they might be.

My children rode bikes. My son started thinking about breaking bones, scraping knees and rearranging his face and his body parts at every chance. My older daughter was a climber- she could never say no to scaling any summit. My younger daughter is a burrower- I keep praying that she is never going to find a cave of any kind to get lost in. The older two loved their go karts, and I admit to racing out to their wrecks with heart pounding and a forced smile. They both want to ride; I will encourage them to do so, with great pride, insisting that they learn how to do so safely. I am more than proud when they say that they look up to me, that they want to be like me. I am even more proud when they say they want their first ride to be with me.

Now, I do have an issue with my children and their bike idea: they plan to pool their money and buy one to share. Have you ever watched a sitcom? Yes, we all can see how this is going to turn out. I feel bad for the bike.