This is why I ride.

 I step out into the chilly morning air but hardly notice it's there. I glance at the bike and do a final check before strapping on my helmet, securing my gloves, and pressing the starter switch. Immediately the low rumble of a V-twin engine echoes in the far off distance being drown by a random song playing in my earphones. I back up out of the driveway and pause before stepping down into gear. I look up at the gray skies above and think of the slight chill in the air. “How appropriate,” I think. “A day to fit with my mood.” Earlier in the morning I had taken time to look at different routes to different locations finally settling on one northwest from where I was. I pull my left fingers close and push down with my left foot. I feel, more than hear, the clunk as the bike drops into first, preparing for the journey. A slight twist of the right hand and a slow release and the clutch bites in and moves me and the bike forward.

The first part of the ride is nothing special. These are roads I've traveled on a lot in the last year I've been here. With hardly any notice to the surroundings and almost with no thought I wind my way through town, hang a left, make a right, another left. Before I know it I come to a turn that will take me onto new ground. As I lean to the right and the bike eases around the corner, I am welcomed by a new but familiar sight. Simple houses line the road, people out in the yard trying to conquer mother nature with their motorized tools. A few stop and look up as I go by. Again I find my thoughts drifting as I look at the gray skies above and ahead. “Sometimes in life you just have a bad day,” I tell myself. The usual joy and excitement that comes with riding is strangely absent and yet I don't mind. “What are you doing with yourself? Where are you at in life? Do you need to be doing better?” Thoughts come one after another with very little time to answer. To be honest, I wouldn't try to answer anyway. The music in my ears has faded to be nothing but background noise along with the hum of the engine, the rush of the wind, and the tires on the road giving way instead to the thoughts and conversations in my head.

“No, we're not doing this today,” I tell myself. “The questions will be there later. Accept that you're not happy right now and just ride.” So I do. I mentally place the thoughts and questions back on the shelf. I begin to look at the scenery passing me by. Trees rush by me with their arms outstretched toward the sky, seeking for that elusive fire in the sky that is hidden behind the gray mass of clouds. Every once in a while a freshly plowed barren field passes by, the red clay dirt stands out in stark contrast to the green foliage that surrounds it. I come by another cluster of houses and notice on the right side, they are all nice, large homes that are well kept with groomed yards. On the left, matchbox houses that have given a good fight against the elements but appear to be losing now; some already lost. Another fitting scene for the way I feel today.

About 30 minutes into the ride I notice something is different. The red clay fields have given way to green pastures. It's as though some unwritten decree stated that all fields at this point must be growing hay. This thought brings a small smirk to my face. “It seems to have changed with the county line,” I think. I wonder if there wasn't an agreement somewhere, sometime.

I near a turn where I'll be heading on a highway a little bit. Highways are okay, I guess. They all seem to be moving so fast and there really isn't anything to see. I definitely prefer the back roads and the old highways. It feels as though I'm traveling through history when I'm on those. Luckily, this stretch of road only lasts for about 10 minutes. I see my exit and am back on a small 2 lane road that is winding through the countryside.

I approach another sign indicating I'm moving into yet another county. This is definitely confirmed when the green pastures give way to fields of tall grasses slowly being mowed down by bovine inhabitants. This time I actually smile as I think, “So these guys must have agreed to do the cow detail.” I also notice that while the gray skies are all around me they are beginning to lose the battle for the sky with the sun which has climbed high above. Around me the world begins to take on a bright glow causing the green grasses and trees to appear even more richly colored. The wind rushing by my face is still chilly but I sense a level of warmth that wasn't there before. “I guess it may turn out to be a good day after all,” I think to myself.

By the time I arrive at my intended destination, the sun is shining bright, the gray has given way to white wisps of cotton floating high above in the grasp of some unseen wind. I've chosen to come to a museum that houses some old trains. Upon entering and seeing the giant iron monsters of yesteryear, I can't help but think I could have been happy in this time. I am amazed at the majesty of these huge machines as my 6'2'' frame seems dwarfed next to them. Echos from the past flood my head as I can hear the hiss of the steam blowing from relief valves and smell the rancid smoke filling the air as coal is burned to give life to the engines.

By the time I explore the engines and old rail cars, I feel my spirits lifted and renewed. This is just what I needed today. I continue to walk around and take in a few more relics from the past before heading back out on the road. This time as I approach my steel steed I find myself anxious to explore what I may have missed on the first half of my journey.

I pull into that driveway I've pulled into countless times before, the same one that was gray and dreary earlier in the day. It is bright, illuminated and warm. It's good to be back home. This is definitely what I needed today. Yes, this is why I ride.