The time it took for you to read the title of this blog, roughly 3 seconds, is all the time needed to lose your life. A couple of years ago I was in Rapid City, SD headed to Hot Springs to visit with Jim & Beth of Hoka Hey fame and was setting at an intersection waiting for the light to turn green. A rider passed through the intersection and he looked toward me and nodded his head as to say, “Hey, how’s it going?” That was all the time needed for the car in front of him to stop and he rode into the back of the car.
All it took was a brief second of distraction…
His injuries were minimal, but the bike needed to go to the shop for repair. While waiting on the police to show up we talked and I learned he was a rider with years of experience and this was his first mishap. The split second it took for him to look at me was all the time it took for the convergence of unfortunate circumstances to meld together and result in an accident.
Riding is risky business and we, as riders, are responsible for reducing that risk as best we can. Most assuredly during those years of riding he had, as we all have, allowed his attention to be diverted for a second or two while acknowledging someone while riding or take a few extra seconds to look at the scenic view to the left or right. But, in previous instances other variables did not enter into the mix, like the car stopping unexpectedly or a deer dashing out to get to the other side of the highway.
We rely on our riding skill and experience to stay between the ditches and to keep the shiny side up while we ride. These are important for sure, but I think attitude and focused attention are more important. Call me rude if you like, but I will never wave at an oncoming rider while I’m in city traffic. I assume every car within 100 feet of me is ready to implement a well-developed plan to run me down and then take a selfie over my lifeless body. We have all had close calls with cagers and the only reason we lived through it was because we were 100% focused on the task at hand and evaded the assault. What happens when that “close call” presents itself during that short span of seconds when we are momentarily distracted by some inconsequential thing?
Stay focused, stay alert and always ride as if everyone is out to get you. It’s a strong bet they are indeed looking for an opportunity for the perfect selfie and your lifeless body would make a fine backdrop. Don’t give them the opportunity.
Why is it there are those who will ride thousands of miles on a motorcycle for no other reason than to ride? Face it; a car is more comfortable, especially during those times of inclement weather. The casual ride is easy to understand; a 50 to 200 mile ride in a day is not at all uncommon and makes for a fun day, but what about those thousand mile days? Not sure that question can be answered. Why do people run marathons? If good health were the reason then the desired state could be achieved without the grueling 26 mile run or the preparatory training that comes before. Why do people climb mountains knowing there are those who went before that never returned? Is it for a sense of adventure or an attempt to fill a void somewhere deep inside?
Each person who attempted to answer these questions may very well give an answer; surely each would be different dependent on the person. However, I believe each would admit (maybe not verbally) that their given answer failed to adequately clarify the real reason. One thing we would all agree on; the destination is not the objective.
So, with an acknowledgement that the ultimate question cannot be answered, let’s talk about what we do to prepare our bike and ourselves for these long distance rides.
Obviously (at least to me) the first thing that comes to my mind is motorcycle maintenance. A major service (oil change at a minimum) prior to departure should be at the top of the list. Plus, depending on the length of the ride, a service may be required during your trip; plan accordingly. Tires are the only thing between you and serious road rash. If you have 10,000 miles on your ride and your trip is 10,000 miles then I would recommend changing your tires prior to departure or have a plan in place to replace your tires during the trip. Oddly enough, tires, being the most significant safety feature on your ride, are the items most ignored by riders. Incorrect tire pressure can and will increase wear and cause a pre-mature failure. Correct tire pressure extends the life of your tire, increases fuel efficiently and adds comfort to the ride; incorrect tire pressure has the opposite effect. To reduce the possibility of a flat tire some will apply a tire sealant. Some swear by a sealant and others shy away from such things. Regardless of which end of the spectrum you hang your hat the thing here to remember is tire maintenance is your friend. Belt (or chain) and sprocket serviceability should be checked. Today’s belts last significantly longer than the chain and sprocket, but that does not mean they do not wear out and need replacing at regular intervals. If you are unsure how to perform maintenance on your ride then rely on your dealer’s service department. You don’t need to tell them you are not capable of doing it yourself, tell them you are too busy with all those meetings with Donald Trump, tell them anything; trust me, they will not question your reasons.
Baggage on your ride should be mounted as low as possible with heedful attention to balance. I suspect there is such a thing as too many bungee cords, but ensure you secure your luggage in such a fashion so as to prevent slippage. Securing the cords to your ride should not interfere with the normal function of your ride. Every ride has a maximum weight allowed which includes the weight of the rider. I am not privy to load limits on every ride, but for mine it is roughly 500 pounds which includes oils, fuel and extra items I’ve added. Fuel weights a little over 6 pounds and oil roughly 2 pounds per quart. So, with fuel and oil alone I lose 52 pounds. Add your weight to those items you always carry; leather jacket, chaps, helmet, camera, tool bag, 1st aid bag, water (2.2 lbs per liter), etc and that weight limit gets smaller and smaller. Of course you would never take your bike to its maximum weight limit. I said all that to say this; pack light.
I’m sure it will come in handy at those rest-stops
When packing take only those items you need. Make a list of what you think you need to include clothing, tools, sleeping gear, etc. After you create the list you should estimate the weight and then check your list and mentally verify if the item is something you NEED. The more long trips you take the better you will understand what is needed and what can be left behind. On this list you will of course have clothing articles. Pick multi-function items. A jacket that will keep the rain off as well as provide protection from the other elements is your best option. You will not want to have a jacket specific to wet weather and a jacket specific to cold or high wind. Pick a set of clothing that can be layered allowing you to remove items as the day gets warmer. Likewise, adding a layer will keep hypothermia at arm’s length. A quick story here that applies – some years back my wife and I decided to climb Pikes Peak. Of course the plan called for us to carry everything we needed. So, I made a list of what I thought we needed and went over the list again and again. Each time I went over the list I reduced the items as I saw fit. Long story short; we climbed Pikes Peak and upon our return I realized there were a number of items I never took out of the pack. Obviously, we did not “need” these items. So, you might feel like you need it, but should the need arise what would result if you did not have it. Would you fail, or would you be just fine without it. Take that little story for what it’s worth… or not.
Depending on the type of trip you are taking be mindful of the items you may pick up along the way. If this trip is strictly a ride for the benefit of an iron butt then chances of you stopping for souvenirs is slim to none. If this is a vacation ride then have a plan to manage souvenirs. Most merchants will ship your purchase for you. If this is offered I highly recommend you use it. If you ship it then you will never have to pack and unpack over the period of your trip. Certainly, if you come to a point where you need a tool you can bet the tool you need is buried under all those souvenirs.
Hypothermia sets in when the body’s core temperature falls below 95 degrees; which is not difficult to do if riding in temperatures of 50 degrees or less. If you are riding and you get a bit of a chill then hypothermia can easily be the next step. Your physical health can play a significant part in allowing hypothermia to set in and it can also play a part in keeping hypothermia away. Meaning, eat right, dress right and drink right. By drink I am referring to water and juices; alcohol will not only speed hypothermia it will hide the symptoms.
Dehydration is a silent enemy that WILL sneak up on you and interrupt your day. As you ride you are obviously “face into the wind” which will dry your skin quickly. Your body will kick into high gear and try to keep your skin at an optimal level and try to replenish what the wind has taken away which starts a quick cycle. If you do not hydrate (drink lots of water) the wind will untimely win. It is said that an average person needs .5 to 1 full liter of water for every 125 to 150 miles. Now, we all know none of us drink that much water as we are tooling down the road, so ensure you drink water at each stop. If your objective is to ride a great distance in a minimal amount of time then a camelback may need to be added to your list of things to take and use. Drinking lots of water the day before also helps. Sadly, the more you drink the more often you will feel a need to pullover; that’s just the way it is. Always carry twice as much water as you think you will need. If you are going to break down be sure you will break down on the hottest day, far from anywhere. The water will come in handy.
If you’re gonna break down you are gonna break down at the farthest point from civilization – Murphy’s Law of Riding.
The positioning and comfort of your body plays a very significant role in an ability to ride great distances. The comfort of your seat, the tilt of your handlebars and even the surface of your grips play a role. We have all been on a long ride and our hands start to go numb. This happens because of the wrists (especially the right wrist) stays in a locked position for extended times. Many bikes come with cruise control which will virtually eliminate this problem. Other bikes do not come with cruise, but there are several options available ranging from inexpensive to very expensive that will provide this needed comfort; which you choose I will leave to the thickness of your wallet. Use your cruise control if available to let your hands and arms rest a bit. The higher your handlebars are the more prone you will be to suffer from not only your hands going numb but your arms as well. We all have our own thoughts on this, what looks good vs. what is functional; it’s sometimes a tradeoff. Again, which you choose is your prerogative; just be mindful of the results. I found that raising my bars just one inch made all the difference on the long hauls.
If you are riding alone you should be aware you are not alone. This fact is both advantageous and risky. It is advantageous when you need assistance. Ensure you have phone numbers for emergency services that may be needed for injury or mechanical failures. Nothing is more stressing than to be stuck on the side of that road less traveled and realize you are the only one travelling that road. A cell phone and a GPS to pinpoint your location will mean the difference between an hour or two or a day or two. On the other side of the equation; we want to believe that people are honest and willing to help. Yea, right… there are some out there who live for the day when they can take advantage of someone who is in a difficult spot. Others will not wait for you to be in a difficult spot before they jump in, they will put you in a difficult spot and take advantage with the skill and finesse of a hungry tiger. Act as if everyone you meet is kind and generous but have a plan ready for action to take them out of the equation if needed.
If you ride long distances you are going to run into critters—it’s a given. If this bothers you then don’t even pull out of the driveway. Remain vigilant and ready to act knowing there may be times when your actions will mean nothing—you’re going down and there is nothing you can do about it.
If you ride you are going to come into contact with obstacles – might not be a bear, but it’s gonna be something.
The long distance ride is a test of your mental and physical abilities; a test put to both you and your ride. Being prepared is the key but maintaining a positive and clear mental attitude is paramount; preparation starts long before you straddle your ride. If your intent is to ride a great distance in a short amount of time and you do not prepare your ride and yourself (both physically and mentally) then I would submit you have failed before you ever climbed on the bike. Failure will result in anything from busted pride to death. Take this endeavor seriously, prepare for it, plan for it, know your limitations and remain within those boundaries. If you do these simple things then you will succeed, do them not and you may fail.
These are four attributes many claim to have, but, if all were revealed, may not be the case. It is easy to give “lip service” to these and, unless someone sees what you do when no one is looking, many may believe what you say and take you at face value. Action—action gives evidence when words die away. Do we claim honesty, but bend a little on taxes? Do we claim integrity, but work diligently only when the boss is looking? Do we do only what is asked and see no reason to go an extra step because there is nothing in it for us personally? Do we claim generosity and compassion, but turn a blind eye to the plight of others within arm’s reach?
We can say what we want. We can lay claim to all these favorable attributes and toot our own horn, but without actions as proof our words mean nothing—perhaps, if that is the case, our lives means nothing as well. If, by our actions (not our words) others label us with these attributes then it may be we are on the right path.
Do those who truly possess these attributes fall short of the text-book definition of them? Absolutely—we all have good days and bad days. Don’t let a missed opportunity lay waste to your intent. If you miss a chance to display one of these attributes, then try again. The only time we truly fail is when we stop trying.
If we took all of our good deeds and put them on the left side of a scale and put all our bad deeds on the right side of the scale, the scale would not only tip right, but would violently roll off the right side of the table and land on the family pet. Fortunate for us, the Almighty does not grade us by our deeds, but rather sees our heart and from that vantage point, rallied together with a heaping portion of His grace, sees our worth.
Honesty, integrity, generosity and compassion should be what we strive for. Will we always succeed? Most assuredly not, but we should not let a repeated failure defines us or dissuade us from trying as many times as it takes.
Got word that a friend of mine is riding from Florida to Moonshine, IL for the Annual Moonshine Lunch Run. After eating at Moonshine he is headed back to Florida. Most are probably unfamiliar with Moonshine, IL. It is literally in the middle of nowhere and if you are not sure where it is then it is very difficult to find. It has a whopping population of 2 registered residents and a single building. In this building you can get the best burger of your life.
But Moonshine and the fact that you can get the best burger is not what I’m going to talk about—beyond what has already been mentioned.
Why would anyone ride over a thousand miles to eat a burger? Are there no burgers in Florida? Well, that’s not the point and if you fail to see the point, then much of what follows will be beyond your comprehension. It is not the destination, it’s the ride.
Writers have exhausted the thesaurus trying to find the right combinations of words to adequately describe why long distance riders do what they do. To be a long distance rider you must:
Enjoy solitude – Even when you ride in a group you ride solo.
Tolerate pain – Riding long distances, regardless of how comfortable you think your seat is, is painful.
Turn a blind eye to inclement weather – Any long distance ride will ultimately come in contact with intense heat, cold weather rain, hail, dust storms and/or high winds. Often times your ride will include many (if not all) of these climatic conditions in a single day. Ride through it and come out the other side.
Look danger in the eye – Riding is inherently dangerous. The longer you ride the higher the potential for an unwanted encounter. Live with this fact and do not let it dissuade you. You can hide in fear if you like, but by doing so you rob yourself of accomplishment.
Be not disturbed by the wrong turn – A wrong turn is nothing more than an opportunity to see something you would have otherwise missed.
Expect the unexpected – Every ride, whether short or long, often has unexpected events that may alter your plan, your day or your life. If you are not comfortable with the unexpected then long distance riding is not for you.
Enjoy the little things – I have yet to be on a ride when something did not happen that made me smile. Often it is a little thing—the look of a small child from the back seat of a car, the unexpected encounter with an old friend, the sunrise or the sunset… any of these can brighten your day and enhance the ride. The little things make it all worth it.
These and other attributes are required to be a long distance rider. If you are fearful of the unexpected, bow to intimidation, back away from discomfort then you will never understand the long distance rider. And we don’t expect you to. Words cannot define what we do and we have long since stopped trying to define what we do—we just do it.
To my fellow long distance riders. Enjoy the road, ride safe, and if you happen to pass through Moonshine on a Saturday morning, stop in and get the best burger of your life.
Tomorrow (February 27th) I turn 60 years old. I’m told that is a milestone. A milestone tells you where you are in relation to where you want to be or where you have come from. At the age of 20 (just prior to another milestone, which I’m told is age 21) I had already spent 3 years in the military and had no clue what I would do with my life. I never expected, based on how my life was at the time, to reach the next milestone—that being the age of 30.
Obviously I reach the 30 year mark and must say the span of the 30 years between then and now went way too fast. Given the facts I know now I would have to admit I have wasted much of my 60 years on things that were important at the time, but now mean little if anything. It’s a shame we are not born with wisdom.
A few days ago I was at a restaurant and learned our waitress had just turned 18 years old. I complemented her (and envied her) that her adventure was just beginning. Her response was, “yea, that’s what I’ve been told” and her tone led me to believe her attitude toward my comment was dubious at best. I thought of trying to enlighten her with the wisdom I had learned that life as a high school teenager is no comparison to what life will be and what your life will be is based on what you do and how you go about doing it—truly her adventure is just beginning. I decided to keep quiet as I recall as a teenager other super old people telling me the same thing and it did nothing but irritate me—how could they possibly know anything about it. I’m not so sure wisdom can be shared. You can try and share it and perhaps some take root, but I think it depends on the recipient. The vast majority of acquired wisdom comes from experience. What’s that old saying” “Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment” or something like that.
Mistakes, regrets, errors and missed opportunities plague my past. All these infractions are what gives us wisdom—so long as we realize our mistake and learn from them so that the next time the opportunity presents itself you do not add to your list of regrets.
Tomorrow I turn 60. Not sure what that means because it is not like there is a significant change in who I am. However, if, on the day I turn 60 I am able to adequately apply some of the wisdom I have gained over the past 59 years then it will be a good day.
I’ve gained all this wisdom, but too tired to use it.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Master Sergeant Woodrow W. Keeble distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Sangsan-ni, Korea, on October 20, 1951. On that day, Master Sergeant Keeble was an acting platoon leader for the support platoon in Company G, 19th Infantry, in the attack on Hill 765, a steep and rugged position that was well defended by the enemy. Leading the support platoon, Master Sergeant Keeble saw that the attacking elements had become pinned down on the slope by heavy enemy fire from three well-fortified and strategically placed enemy positions. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Master Sergeant Keeble dashed forward and joined the pinned-down platoon. Then, hugging the ground, Master Sergeant Keeble crawled forward alone until he was in close proximity to one of the hostile machine-gun emplacements. Ignoring the heavy fire that the crew trained on him, Master Sergeant Keeble activated a grenade and threw it with great accuracy, successfully destroying the position. Continuing his one-man assault, he moved to the second enemy position and destroyed it with another grenade. Despite the fact that the enemy troops were now directing their firepower against him and unleashing a shower of grenades in a frantic attempt to stop his advance, he moved forward against the third hostile emplacement, and skillfully neutralized the remaining enemy position. As his comrades moved forward to join him, Master Sergeant Keeble continued to direct accurate fire against nearby trenches, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Inspired by his courage, Company G successfully moved forward and seized its important objective. The extraordinary courage, selfless service, and devotion to duty displayed that day by Master Sergeant Keeble was an inspiration to all around him and reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
That is how the Medal of Honor Citation read for Woodrow W. Keeble that was presented to his family 26 years after MSG Keeble’s death. During his service during WWII and the Korean War MSG Keeble was awarded two Silver Stars, four purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars (with “V” Device).
There is much that can be written about this man—his honor, his integrity and his selfless service. I think it can all be summed up by three things he said after returning home:
“Before I experienced the horror of that attack, I was quick to call coward or yellow anyone who showed fear under any circumstances. Nevermore. I don’t know these things, but they speak truth to one. I am not a psychologist, nor a statistician, and less of a philosopher; but the depth of emotion, the dreads of fear, the referees of horrors, and the concentration of self that led me to make this observation, the fear impulse, or perhaps, better said, the (impulses caused) by fear, are stronger, more demanding than either that of love or hunger…”
“Fear in my opinion is a state of drunkenness. And when men are in that state when the fear impulse takes a hold…he loses all reason, sense of values, and is not liable, or at least should not be held accountable for acts perpetrated when thus possessed.”
The aftermath of combat operations on Guadalcanal
“During the 13 months (in the) almost continual and sustained combat in which I have ever participated, there were moments, and rare ones, I am sure; but they lose none of their terror or horror for which fear laid a relentless and a powerful hold on me, that the pull of cowardice was almost more than I could ward off. There were terrible moments that encompassed a lifetime, an endlessness, when terror was so strong in me, that I could feel idiocy replace reason. (Yet,) I have never left my position, nor have I shirked hazardous duty. Fear did not make a coward out of me.”
Keeble returned to North Dakota after the Korean War and worked at the Wahpeton Indian School (later named Circle of Nations Wahpeton Indian School) located in Wahpeton, ND. Soon after, he was afflicted with tuberculosis, which required that he undergo long-term treatment in Minnesota. Surgeons ultimately removed one of his lungs, which triggered a series of strokes that rendered him speechless, partially paralyzed and unable to work for the remainder of his life.
Keeble fell on hard times and is said to have pawned his service medals. Nevertheless, and despite his disabilities, Keeble persevered. Those that knew him and members of his family proclaim he never lost the level of integrity, honor and selfless service that sustained him during vicious combat operations in WWII and Korea.
The Medal of Honor, well deserved on the day of the incident, was not given until 26 years after his death. Since then there have been many other honors bestowed on MSG Keeble—but not near enough. What can we, as individuals, do to honor his life—and for that matter—the lives of every other honorable person we know? The answer is easy. Imitate them. Live your life firmly grounded in honor, integrity, compassion and wisdom.
Woodrow W. Keeble died January 28th, 1982 and is buried in Sisseton, South Dakota. This short blog is but a small portion outlining the life led by MSG Keeble. His accomplishments and his demons are many.
I was reading a lesson plan on blogging today. I think I like blogging (not sure why) so if I plan to do this right I decided I needed to learn from the pros. I must admit I have lived my life with the philosophy of, “reading the manual is a sign of weakness” and more often than not the un-instructed result showed me the errors of that mind-set.
Anyway, one of the exercises outlined in this training guide directed that I write for 20 minutes with no focus, just write. The rules outlined were:
1 – Write with no focus
2 – Don’t cross out anything you wrote
3 – Don’t worry about grammar, spelling or punctuation
4 – Lose control
5 – Don’t think
6 – Don’t get logical
7 – Don’t worry if something may be offense
I reviewed these seven basic rules and came to the conclusion, “This is how I write now; I don’t need to practice writing this way.” I was told to do this every day for a week—seriously? Who has 20 minutes to spare during the day? I may have some spare time on occasion, but everyday… probably not. I guess that is kind of a lie. I could make time, but if I did that I would miss out on watching re-runs of Justified and NCIS.
I was then told to post the gibberish I wrote. Like that’s going to happen. If I immediately posted what I wrote the few followers I do have would drop my like an Ebola invested hamburger. As a rule I will write, then re-write 5 or 6 times before it gets posted and even then I’ll get a quick post from my wife pointing out a mistake; usually a misspelled or ill-used word.
The learning pamphlet provided some generic topics to write about. Ideas ranged from cooking to programming or things that happened today. My expertise in cooking does not go far beyond that which requires a toaster. If I want to get exotic with my cooking I pull out the Hot-Pockets and put them in the oven. Programming? We won’t go there. My days are, for the most part, boring. I would not want to read the boring details of someone’s life, so feel it only kind that I not bore others with mine.
I write because it relieves stress. There are other methods to deal with stress but apparently shooting at people is against the law. I guess there is another reason. It is not like I want to go public with my thoughts. I consider myself a private person. But, if a person wanted to know who Steve Briscoe is they can get a good idea by reading what goes through my mind. Consider yourself fortunate that I do not write everything that goes through my mind—it gets kinda weird in there sometimes.
When I started this blog I made a commitment to myself to blog at least once a week and preferably once a day. Well, the once-a-day thing fell to the wayside rather quickly for obvious reasons—who has time to blog daily? If you blog daily I will assume you do not have a day job that also interferes with the daily duties that come with other self-imposed projects. My self-imposed projects include my involvement with the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, work I bring home, reading and TV—as well as the ever-present “honey-do” list. I love watching TV. I used to tell myself I was not a TV addict, but I think I am. I love old movies and I thoroughly enjoy watching a good action movie and the suspenseful intrigue of a “who-done-it” crime show. To prove a point—if I were to take a week off from work and do nothing but watch every episode of every season of “24” I would not consider the time wasted.
I also have a 1946 Dodge pickup truck that I am restoring—but haven’t started that project yet so really can’t add that to the list of distracters; yet.
Most of the things I want to write about are the thoughts that roll through my head—especially those thoughts that fill my mind while I ride. But I can’t do that. I can’t do that because most of the more prevalent thoughts are outlined in my book “Solitary—Without the Confinement” and I do not want to put them here. At least not yet. I want to wait until the book is published then expound on those thoughts once the book has been in the public for a while. Who would want to buy the book if they can read it here for free?
I know I will never sell enough books to get rich (and that was never the intent) but I would like to sell enough to make my money back. As a side note, I plan to write a blog about my publishing experience as some of it was good and some of it was bad—and it was all expensive. If I “break even” on sales I will consider the project a stellar success. Actually, breaking even has never been my objective either, since I am not confident enough in my abilities to warrant a sale of over 4,000 copies—Stephen King I’m not. In fact, based on an educated guess, I will need to sell 10,000 copies to break even.
Please consider this particular narrative as a two-pronged plea. One—is to ask those select few who follow my blog to continue to do so because it will get better. Two—this is a plea to buy my book. I think you will be pleased with it and will not consider the money spent as wasted.
“Solitary” has completed the editing phase and is currently in the design phase. I anticipate the book hitting the streets before the 1st of February, but I’m guessing since this is my first published book I am really unsure of the time-line. If you like adventure, if you like facing insurmountable odds, if you take pleasure in facing an obstacle where failure is a distinct possibility, then you will love “Solitary—Without the Confinement.”
Ain’t but two things to do while riding. Think and look for State Troopers.
I would like to ask a favor. If you read my blog and find the narratives worthwhile please tell your friends and share on Facebook. I figure the more exposure this blog gets the better my odds are of selling books.
Not sure where I’m going with this so I guess you’ll have to read along while I write and see; we’ll both discover the end of this journey together.
Slavery and the results thereof are a continual topic of discussion. The tension it causes is often times best measured as off the charts and I must wonder sometimes what the value is. It’s not like we can change history. The race most associated with slavery is the African American. It is inadvertently suggested that the Africans were the only ones sold into slavery and there can be nothing farther from the truth. History states otherwise. And by history I mean true history, not the re-written version. Africans sold Africans into slavery, the English sold the Irish into slavery, Greeks sold the Turks, Turks sold the Greeks, Europeans sold the Africans, Africans sold Arabs, Arabs sold Africans, Africans sold Asians, Asians sold Asians, Vikings sold anyone they could get their hands on—the list can go on and on. You can start the phrase with any race or nationality and end the phrase with any race or nationality. If you have the courage to drill down you will discover it seldom had anything to do with race or nationality but everything to do with who was weak and who was strong. The real truth here is that human trafficking is still prevalent today but more emphasis is placed on ancient history than the plight of present day atrocities—how sad is that?
Short side note here: Little is mentioned about the slavery, herding and extermination of the Native American. In a very real sense that practice—or at least a portion thereof—is still practiced today. If you don’t believe that then go visit Pine Ridge.
Virtually every race has sold others into slavery and virtually every race has purchased and used slaves. This fact is irrefutable but not the topic of discussion. I believe the topic goes deeper.
It is good to know and understand history—both good and bad. If we ignore it, or as others attempt to do, re-write it, then we are doomed to relive it. What I see as a problem is when we let history, especially the bad history, define who we are. Our own personal history will define who we are but perhaps should not, unless we let it, define who we can be. If you had a horrible childhood then that history can make you an angry person but there is no requirement that states you must remain angry. Lingering anger is a personal choice. History that happened generations ago should have no quarter in defining who we are. If you fail at everything you do and you claim the fact that your ancestors 150 years ago were slaves then I would submit you would fail at everything regardless of what happened 150 years ago. You have failed yourself.
If we read the history of slavery and grow angry over it then I do not see that as a bad thing. If we read the history of slavery and feel that knowledge should empower us to be indigent then we are wrong and are perpetrating our own status in society—again, you failed yourself.
Some will take history and use it as a crutch. Others will acknowledge history and use that insight to make things better.
You are solely responsible for who you are and what you do. Whether you accept that fact or not is irrelevant. It’s still a fact.
I’ll let the reader decide if I made a point here.
Short note here: Every paragraph above can be elaborated on and go from a 100 word paragraph to a 5000 word article; but I didn’t go there. Why, because very few will read a 5000 word article that challenges them and requires a through process. See “Bumper Sticker Epidemic”
Ask any youth who their role model is and more often than not they will name a prominent sports figure. I’ll not delve into the world of steroids or doping or cheating. We can name hundreds of sports figures who were caught and convicted of these and other crimes. Sadly, even after the conviction many still hold these people in high regard-not sure why.
The question is why are even the honest sports figures claimed as a role model? They do not play this sport because of personal convictions nor do they participate to empower others. They do it for the money.
Let’s make a comparison to prove a point. For the past many years the media has focused on the 0.1 percent of police officers who do not “serve and protect.” They will even go so far as to generate a media lynching of police officers who are given no choice but to initiate lethal force in a confrontation. Seldom will you hear of a police officer held up as a role model. But I submit they are the perfect example. I will also submit, unless you have looked at death in the face, you have no business crucifying a police officer who was forced to make a split-second decision. Granted, there are times when, using hind-sight, lethal force was not required. However, there are more cases where a police officer, or innocent by-stander, lost their life because lethal force was not used. If a perpetrator places themselves, by their own actions, into a position where there is a potential for lethal force then they are the ones who must lay claim to the results. As a needed side comment, a gun in the hands of a bad-guy is not needed to constitute a need for deadly force.
A police officers do not patrol the streets or rush toward danger for the money. They do it because they have an inner desire to serve the public. When shots are fired everyone will run the other direction; everyone except a police officer. They will run towards the shooter and put their lives on the line to calm the hostilities. If lethal force is required to calm the hostilities then they have done their duty.
Would a prominent football player run a ball to the goal if there were even the slightest possibility they might get shot? Of course they wouldn’t. Why would they? Getting the ball to the goal is not a life or death situation. A police officer putting themselves in harm’s way is a life or death situation. You can replace the word police officer with solider, fireman, and these days you can add teacher to the list.
The police officer, the soldier, the fireman, and yes the teacher do their jobs not because of the money, but rather because of who they are.
So, I ask you again. Why are sports figures held up as role models while these others are not?
