JustAL Loqui

Tag: endurance

  • Honesty, Integrity, Generosity and Compassion

    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.

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    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.

  • Any Reason Will Do…

    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.

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    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.

    Hoka Hey!!!

  • Major Milestone in 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.

     

  • Woodrow W. Keeble 1917-1982 (The Gentle Giant)

    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.

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    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.”

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    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.

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    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.

     

  • This Blogger’s Nemesis

    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.”

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    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.

    Can I count on you?

  • Push Your Boundaries

    When was the last time you pushed your boundaries? What can we claim as a victory if there was no risk to the endeavor? Many are content to spend their days in a routine; get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV, go to sleep… day after day after day, week after week, year after year. I think many of us do not even realize we are in a rut.

    Try something daring and see what happens. Yea, you might fail and that’s OK. Fail with a smile on your face knowing you got out of the rut for just a little while. You might be amazed at just how fulfilling that failure can be.

    I recommend you start small; maybe try a new way to make brownies (box mix not allowed) or take a different way to work. Turn the TV off for just one night and read a book. The right book will stir your soul and create in you a desire to step out of your comfort zone. Great accomplishments come with great risk.

    I refuse to live in a rut… even something as simple as taking a different way home from work will brighten your day because you will see things that will be missed if you stay in the rut.

  • The Cost of Commitment

    We all associate ourselves with something. Call it a need to belong, a need for recognition, a self assurance, or just because we like the people in that particular arena. Some wear some type of indicator on their clothing or tattoo their body, or adorn their automobiles with emblems, symbols or decals portraying these associations. You see it at every turn; T-Shirts for Vietnam Vets, jackets for Ford Motor Company enthusiasts, baseball and football teams, a specific sports figure, your employer’s company logo or the local volunteer fire department. Many of us in the iron horse community wear a Shield and/or Banner that displays our association.   The number of motorcycle clubs, associations, chapters, and groups grow daily. Some are local and never stray far from home whereas others are national and have multiple Chapters.

    For the purpose of this narrative we will use the term “club” when a reference is needed. Granted there is a difference between a Motorcycle Club (MC), a Motorcycle Association (MA) and/or Riding Club (RC) but that difference is not pertinent to this discussion. So, when I say “club” I am referring to all three; take no offense.

    The focus or objective and the level of dedication within these clubs and individuals within these clubs can be found on both ends of the spectrum. From the “outlaw” biker attitude (aka 1%er) to the individual whose focus is based solely on charitable and selfless accomplishments. (Now, short disclaimer here, do not read into this that 1%ers have no use for charitable efforts. I think 1%ers, or any riding club, have been labeled as undesirables when, in many cases, nothing could be farther from the truth.) Within these clubs you will find riders whose entire existence focuses around the club whereas others are hit and miss; sometimes there, sometimes not. Some join, are on fire for the club, then fade away and are never heard from again; flash in the pan scenario.

    For the purpose of simplicity and to narrow the focus of my audience I am going to drill down and talk about riders who wear a Shield and Banner. I do not want to insult anyone’s intelligence here, but a Shield, when used in this context, is the large patch worn on the back of a jacket or vest. The Banner is the scroll below or above the Shield that identifies a specific Chapter or Region within the Club. The Banner and Shield go by many names; Cut, Vest, Chit, Patch or Colors to name a few. For the sake of simplicity we will refer to them as a “Cut.” Some believe the Cut was first displayed by an Outlaw Biker gang. I don’t know who the first one was and to be honest that fact has nothing to do with this topic.

    What I want to talk about is the level of dedication and the level of commitment one has to the Cut, whether that Cut be the Hells’ Angels, Harley Owners Group, or a Christian rider’s club or group. In a very real sense the dedication is not really to the Cut, it is to the cause or idea the Cut represents; much like the Flag of the United States. The Flag is not the cause or the force that drives the cause; it represents the force, the people and the attitude that perpetuate the cause. The Cut worn by a rider is the same. The rider wears the Cut so all who see it will know what the rider stands for.

    Regardless of your Cut you proclaim allegiance to that organization; why else would you display the Cut if you were not dedicated to the cause. The question is, “What is your level of dedication?”

    Let’s take a side road here real quick so you can gain a little insight into where I’m coming from. Years ago an English Teacher told me, “…with everything you write you should strive to leave your personal opinion out of it…” I thought that was a dumb statement and had no qualms about telling him that. My out-spoken nature may have had something to do with the less than desired grade received, but that is a different story. Everything we do, everything we say, our every response is governed by our opinion, our past choices, lessons learned and life experiences. When writing your thoughts down on paper how can you keep your opinion out of it? In my way of thinking, or, if you will allow me the pun, in my opinion, it can’t be done. So, what follows is my opinion, take it for what it’s worth.

    In 1972, when I reported to Fort Leonardwood for US Army Basic Combat Training, over half of the “company” was draftees. Their level of dedication is not hard to imagine. They were thrust into a military environment and had no say-so in the matter. Most did their time and got out as quickly as they could while staying under the radar as best they could. To say their level of commitment was less than desired is an understatement. This should not be the case with your affiliation with your club or association; nobody made you join. One can only assume it was your opinion that joining this organization was a good thing to do, something you wanted to be a part of. Now what?

    Depending on your organization and the correlating philosophy of that organization the level of accomplishment enjoyed by that club is entirely up to you. Everything you do and say, both good and bad, reflects on you and the association you advertise by wearing your Cut. Some clubs require an annual payment of “dues” that help facilitate the operational needs of the club, but the actual cost is greater. I’m talking about the cost of commitment.

    The club or event you willingly associate yourself with is dependent on the commitment you made when you joined. If you joined your club and verbally committed yourself to that club, but do not really commit yourself to the cause then you are disrespecting your club and yourself; you are wasting your time and theirs.

    Dedication and commitment are the prices you will pay to be associated with this group. Are you a valuable part of your club or are you a “poser?”

    Perception is reality. If you display your Cut then you need to respect your Cut. If you do not respect it, then how can you expect others to? The stereotype of the rider has improved over the years. Think back to the staged photograph in Hollister back in 1947.

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    The posed picture was taken after bottles were gathered into a single location around a bike. The man on the bike didn’t even own the bike; he was prompted to sit on it by the photographer. Rumor has it he wasn’t even a rider at all; just a local resident walking down the street admiring all the iron. From this and other events that were blown out of proportion, we got “The 1947 Hollister Motorcycle Riot” that never was. Subsequently Hollywood took this false picture and the false tails from it and produced “The Wild Bunch.” The perception from that single picture and a single movie took us years to overcome.

    Do you wear your Cut on your jacket, vest or shirt? If you do, then wear it with pride and wear it knowing people are watching you. They will measure your worth and the worth of your club by what you do; or what you do not do.

    If you have taken the time to read between the lines you know this attitude does not limit itself to the iron horse community.  If you are not willing to commit yourself to your efforts then why bother?

    Whatever you do, do it well; find something worth dying for and live for that.

  • The Bumper Sticker Epidemic

    It is not my intent to insult, but evidence points to a drastic problem in our society. When I write a BLOG it automatically posts to Facebook. My BLOGs range from 500 to 1000 words which, based on what I have seen, is rather common for a BLOG. I believe, albeit a biased assessment, my BLOGs have worth and make a statement. So it saddens me when only a few (if any) make a comment or click the “like” button. This tells me few if any take the time to read them.

    If I post a 5 word comment or a picture that really has no value in the grand scheme of things I will get multiple likes and several comments. Everyone is looking for an answer that will fit on a bumper sticker and that is not going to happen. If you want the truth you will have to work for it; you will have to read more than a bumper sticker.

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    Do yourself a favor and work for it, get the truth, don’t rely on the cute little posters that are so prevalent on Facebook. Find the answers for yourself and don’t rely on someone else’s bumper sticker. More often than not a bumper sticker is designed to hide the truth, not proclaim it.

  • Words Speak Louder Than Action

    Wait, that’s not right. I can say anything, but if my actions do not bear witness to my words then my words mean nothing. Sadly, sometimes our words paint us into a corner and we fail. Our words out-maneuver our intent. Other times we accept the words of others as truth without first verifying their intent and we fall prey to foolishness.

    Let’s talk about a few words and see how they play out:

    Integrity – Does not mean you never make a mistake. But what it does mean is if you make a mistake you claim responsibility for that mistake and act proportionality to correct it.

    Endurance – Many claim to possess it, very few actually do and even fewer still put it to the test.

    Honor – Has nothing to do with words. But has everything to do with actions.

    Wisdom – Has nothing to do with how many big words you know. But has everything to do with how you act in a difficult situation that words have created.

    Compassion – Has very little to do with how you think, but that’s where it starts. Compassion with no action is pity.

    Strength – Has nothing to do with holding 100 pounds over your head for long periods. But what it does mean is an ability and desire to help a friend hold that 100 pounds.

    Kindness – Has everything to do with a kind and charitable act… so long as you don’t expect anything in return.

    Purity – None can claim it, but many do.

    Courage – Is not being fearless, but acting even though you are scared to death.

    Leadership – The ability to win the trust of people around you to such an extent that they want to follow you. Forced leadership is not leadership; it’s tyranny.

    Verbally claiming these traits is contrary to the trait being claimed. These traits are assigned to us by those who know us best.

  • That Whisper of a Smoldering Thought

    I suspect this happens to us all. During the night, in the fringe between sleep and awake where you are only slightly conscious, a thought will come to you. It may be something about work, a product or process solution that has been in the works for weeks; an answer that has eluded you to the point of total frustration.   Or it might be just a random thought that you felt was overly profound and you decided to remember that thought and write it down first thing in the morning. Well, morning comes and for the life of your best friend you cannot remember what it was. A whisper of smoke from the smoldering ashes of your thought is all that lingers.

    smoke-3 Try as hard as you might you cannot formulate that thought into words. This happens to me all the time.

    I was told by a friend to keep a pad and paper beside the bed and when a thought comes to mind make the conscious effort to grab your pen and paper and write it down. Sound advice and I did that once and it works, except the next morning I couldn’t read what I wrote.

    I guess I am stuck with what comes to mind while I am fully conscious.   Unfortunately so are you if you expend the time to read what I write. Some who read my lame excuse for literature tell me I should write more; so I will. Perhaps, after a while, they will see the errors associated with that recommendation.

    As I come up with thoughts I often write them down if I am able. Often a thought will come to mind while riding that endless road and by the time I stop for gas the thought is gone leaving only a faint footprint of its existence. Thoughts range from the mundane to the profound; at least I think them profound. There is neither rhyme nor reason to my patterns of thought while riding, but I do not think I am the only one can claim that trait.

    Maybe someday a profound thought will come to me while I’m putting gas in the bike.