Your Stories

My husband has always had motorcycles, from dirt bikes as a child to owning a few when we were first married. With the thoughts of our little girls at home, I never liked being a passenger. But the little girls grew up and left the nest, leaving us with time to figure out what hobbies wed enjoy together. Being big eBay buffs, we just happened to find motorcycles for sale.

Back in the summer of 2002, my husband told me he wanted a motorcycle. I thought the man had lost his mind. I told him if he got a bike, I was getting a bike. I must have been having a senior moment when I said that because I didnt have any desire to ride a motorcycle.

This story is about my wife Martha and her journey since the purchase of my motorcycle, the inspiration she found while dealing with one of lifes worst tragedies, and her transformation from being totally against the two-wheel experience to her awakening and becoming part of the ever growing community of women motorcycle riders.

I own a 2006 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic. I live in the Chicagoland area so I only have limited time to ride. Each year, though, my riding has exceeded the previous year. This summer my boyfriend, Derrick, encouraged me to learn my directions by reading maps the Atlas. I started with the map of Indiana and notice a few towns that amazed me.

Flying. Today I went flying. Flying, like a bird only me and the wind and my motorcycle gliding through air. It is comfortable, like a second skin. It is man and machine morphing into one entity. I am relaxed and loose. My thoughts dont exist. There is total absence of thought. Feel takes over. Snippets of images waft in and out, but no plans, no grabbing on to an idea, no holding on tight for fear of forgetting, no fear of anything.

I have been keeping track of the things people have said to me or comments made about me over the last two and a half years Ive been riding. I find some quirky, funny or even complimentary, and others just insulting. There are some doozies that Id like to address.

Ive always loved motorcycles but came from a family that was not motorcycle enthusiasts. As a matter of fact, I was forbidden as a young girl to get on the back of one. The boy I had a crush on in high school had a dirt bike and though I didnt ride with him I envied him (sometimes to the point of jealousy that he chose the bike over me).

I took the weekend MSF course shortly after September 11, 2001. It was a challenging year for me. I made it through a serious illness and like every other American, my life was changed by the events of that fateful Tuesday morning. I also turned 40, but that didnt bother me all that much as I was grateful for regaining my health. These things made me realize that life is a precious gift and we need to enjoy our days here on earth to the fullest.

My husband Jack and I took our first cross country trip last year. I still cant believe Im riding again. I will soon be 53 years old, and have gone through some medical problems over the past seven years, so when I look back at it all, I am amazed at the accomplishment.