As a new rider to the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge I am seeking purpose in my love and down right addiction to motorcycle riding other than selfish joy, and feeling of freedom, and meditation. As a rider who has been riding on and off for 18 years and have owned many motorcycles, I find my passion for riding has grown as I have grown as a father and husband. When I began riding I was a young single soldier whose only commitment was to the service of my country. That service allowed me to fund my first Harley Davidson, a Sportster 883 Hugger. After my service I continued to ride and travel as an apprentice lineman working on power lines. For a few years as a lineman I traveled and lived in a 24’ foot travel trailer, with my Cummins truck, and my motorcycle. In 2008 the recession hit and worked dried up. I moved my trailer back to my hometown in Spokane, Washington and parked it at my battle buddies house who was also my closest riding brother. Shortly after that I met the woman that would become my wife, but during the recession I lost my motorcycle. As the economy recovered by 2010 for me, I was working again as a lineman, later bought a house, had kids, and got married. I grew as a father and husband giving my family financial stability and a solid home. About three years ago while taking stock of my life so far, I found for as much as I have been blessed with something was still missing…my Harley. Upon test riding a Harley I found for a decent price that feeling ignited in me again. Now I take care of my family, my job, and my Harley.
I know there is more to my passion for riding than just an innate joy. I want to allow my passion of riding to have purpose, but what purpose? The HHMC gives me the opportunity to ride for purpose, this is why I want to ride in the HHMC. As a father I have learned that I have a blind endless love for my children. I want to take care of, and protect my children from everything, however I know there are things outside my power as a father to protect my children from. I can teach them to look both ways before crossing a street, and to not talk to strangers, but I cannot protect them from childhood diseases such as cancer. Therefore, I have chosen St. Jude’s as the charity to raise money for to help with cancer research and pay for cancer treatments for children afflicted with cancer.
The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge has intrigued me since I first heard about it because of the opportunity to live on your motorcycle with only minimal necessary items that can be packed on your motorcycle. As I have become older and more settled, I find myself more accustomed to creature comforts. I used to live with minimal comforts and very few things, a trailer, a truck, and a motorcycle. At one point in my life I went at least a year with sleeping on little more than an Army cot at best, and not every night did I have that luxury. I have many battle buddies that can say the same. However, I am not complaining about these conditions rather look back in envy of those times as a testament to endurance and simplicity I once had as a younger man. My expectation in my ride on the Hoka Hey is to awaken the minimalist, endurance, and abilities I once had. I expect the Hoka Hey Motorcycle challenge to present opportunity re-awaken survival abilities I gained as a young man. With this awakening I hope to find new experiences and new abilities in places I have never traveled before to navigate through, hunger, exhaustion, weather, and hopefully amazing landscapes I have never seen before.
In May of 2021 I attended the Hoka Hey reunion in Seguin, Texas with my battle buddy, that I consider a brother, who is new to the Hoka Hey as well. During this event we tried to gather as much information as possible. I learned from Hoka Hey riders that have completed previous Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenges everything from where to find the most reliable rain gear, to safe places to find rest, such as churches, to installing additional lighting on your motorcycle to light up the road at night. I gained knowledge of the importance of tank bags and techniques for keeping track of your trip mileage to navigate directions. However the best advice I was given by Hoka Hey riders was that it is my ride, make it my ride and my journey. This advise reminds me to allow the ride to guide me and be my experience.
As a working man raising a family with a beautiful wife and a demanding job I have many obstacles in order to participate in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. I have to save up enough paid leave at work to accommodate at least three weeks to travel to the start of the Hoka Hey, complete the Hoka Hey in 14 days or less, and return home. I also have to make sure I have enough money saved up for my wife to provide for our children while I am away. Another obstacle to overcome is I have to organize my responsibilities at work operate smoothly for the time that I am gone for the Hoka Hey by training someone reliable to fill in for me in my supervisor role. Additionally, I must return home in time to take my wife to a romantic location for our 10 year wedding anniversary on July 14th as it is a milestone anniversary. In January of this year 2022 I have overcome the first challenge of saving up enough paid leave to accommodate three weeks for my Hoka Hey ride. I will now have to maintain at least three weeks of paid leave. I will now be putting money away in a savings account every payday for the wife to have extra money to take care of the home and kids while I am away and pay July's bills in advance. I will delegate my work responsibilities to two different supervisors at work and ensure all those who depend on me know who to go to for their needs and instruction. The last challenge I must overcome I can only overcome on the HHMC, and that is successfully completing the HHMC in 14 days or less. I plan to do this by tapping into my endurance and survival abilities I gained as a younger man and getting my body into shape prior to beginning the HHMC.
Learning about the existence of the HHMC came from someone who I consider a brother. A brother who has been riding with me for 18 years, a brother who I served with in Iraq, a brother that opened up his home to me after the recession of 2008 by letting me move my trailer onto his property. A brother who on our 2020 Sturgis trip, continued on to Florida living on his Harley. While on this ride after Sturgis, I rode with him as far as Missouri before I had to steer the handlebars West to return to my family and work. It was on this ride in 2020 that my brother made it to Florida living off his bike that my brother learned of the HHMC from someone he met on his travels. My brother shared the knowledge of the HHMC with me and we began researching the Hoka Hey. As he and I researched the HHMC more and more it ignited a desire in me to ride the Hoka Hey to provide the opportunity to ride for a purpose and grow as a rider.
The very essence of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge is based on ‘Wolakota’; a Lakota ideal of living in peace and community with everyone and everything. To live Wolakota is to live a life of peace, friendship, brotherhood and sisterhood, as well as respect between human beings and all forms of life. Living in accordance with this belief encourages people to step forward and take accountability; to work together to right the wrongs of this world; to acknowledge the strengths and wisdom that all cultures hold in common; and to renew our connection to each other and to the Earth. By upholding the philosophy of Wolakota through RESPECT, HONOR, INTEGRITY, COMPASSION, PERSEVERANCE and SACRIFICE; we can achieve the well-being of the People seven generations into the future.
Why I'm fundraising for St.Jude's
No comments:
Post a Comment