In that unsuspected perfect weather of a day, on that unusually smooth road as you fly on your 2 wheeled machine. You might think this, is just a dream but the rattling in between your legs reminds you this, is very real. Lucky me to be here and to be shown what here is from a Man like my Pops.
As my Pops and I enjoy a wonderful summer’s day a few years back in the north part of our good ole U.S. of A., we fly down a perfect 2 lane highway heading west, with the wind in our hair under our helmets on our 2 wheeled honda cruiser machines. The weather and road is absolutely perfect. As we can see for miles as the land stretches all around us. To the south we can see a hint of a storm that looms way off in the distance but it pays us no mind as we pay it the same. 2 lane highways can always be a little tricky as they offer great views and sceneries not always seen by most people traveling by road, they are just not that popular. If they were popular or, more popular, the powers that be of the local, or not so local governments would make them wider. The wider a road is, the more commerce, goods and taxation infrastructure can move on that road, lucky for us and, lucky for me to have my Pops always paying closer attention to his paper maps, we found this 2 laner heading our way. For a motorcycle these roads really put you in the wonderful scene of all the unpopular beauty of the landscapes around you with very little modern infrastructure to block your view. Oh sure there might be a power line or small mining or farming operation somewhere but for the most part, these roads are prefered if you have a little extra time to enjoy the scenery and the now. Yes we have somewhere to be soon enough in a day or 2 but for now, this, is our reality, this road, and being part of the scenery with the sights, the smells, and that feeling feeling knowing that as Son and Father, we are flying on our big righteous touring skoots.
As the traffic opens up a bit and spreads out, my Pops twists his throttle a little more and passes me on the right. How glorious it must be for him in his age to get to enjoy America, no longer bound to the old rigid choppers he used to ride back in the 1970’s but now, on a motorcycle with shocks, with his Son beside him. I am lazely following him, enjoying the scenery more then attending to our riding formation but with no real concern about it. Sure there is a big rig or 2 a waze behind up but, we have all fallen into a rhythm and no one is pushing or pulling on anyone. Even on this little 2 laner we all have enough time and space to give each other.
As I enjoy the dancing of the clouds in the early formation of what looks like small wind tunnels off to my left far off in the distance I can’t help but notice something on my right, about where my Pops is riding. I look over to see my Pops, slowing down, and fast. I pass him as I hit my breaks and look behind me just in time to see the big rig, slamming on it’s breaks. I wave to it and pull beside my Pops now doing about 40 miles per hour in a 65 zone. I scream to him, “What is wrong?”
Clumsily he is downshifting, looks over at me while removing his right hand from the throttle, reaching out and pointing he screams back to me, “Look, Turkeys!”
As I twist throttle to regain speed I give him a thumbs up. Annoyed I scream back, “YEAH, GREAAAAAAAT!” All the man wanted to do was show his son a turkey farm. Oh sure I kind of glanced over to the right of the road, I saw a little farming operation of sorts but, so worried was I that the big rig behind us was going to mow us over I did not take the time to see the turkeys on the farm. As we get back up to speed I had to question and laugh at my Pops chosen way of going about showing off what he saw and thought was cool on the side of the road. My Pops had never done this before and, never did it again, at least not the whole slowing down traffic thing. I often have to wonder if I, as his riding partner missed out on how many countless small gems of cool roadside americana curiosity? Usually at our next stop we would discuss what things interested us in the last 100 miles of riding as we strolled around the parking lot together to get the blood pumping back in his legs. Lucky I, to of witnessed my Pops admiration for turkeys on this day, on this 2 lane road, in the perfect weather, on 2 wheels, side by side as Father and Son.
American Road Runner 