Sunday Sermon on Riding in the Snow By: Beemer Dan Well, the frosty giant has once again begun his descent upon our lives. The days have shrunk and the public service bill is growing. As I rode a bit through the city today I thought of some things, my friends near and far, the past winters I've crashed through, the heated grips I endlessly thank some nameless soul for inventing, the songs we all sing to keep our faces from freezing at 10 degrees on an icy frontage road in the dark going 65mph.

Although winter isn't the best riding season it is certainly one that strengthens ones soul and spirit. I never feel life surging through my veins in the same way it does when I'm blasting the throttle through a few inches of snow many miles from home. The fear factor never ends in those conditions, the first snow......the last snow, it's always strong. I'm not sure if it's a sign of strength or weakness to endure these situations, but I'm never as sane and focused as when I know that it takes absolute clarity to get home alive and unhurt.

Riding is about nice days and good friends in the summer, good times and good rides. In the winter though, it becomes an introverted self examination, the question we ask ourselves: will I go more crazy riding in this crap or not riding at all? The internal soul searching and resolution that can come from the 45 minute 15 mile ride home in a blizzard. When there seems to be no end in sight and the perils of freezing, crashing or dying are riding with you like a pair of bulky and unwieldy saddlebags a great deal can be resolved. The arguments with friends and loved ones, a crappy financial situation, the fact that your phone may get shut off or the job you don't want to go back to, all become less stressful. They seem to get lost in the flurry of the snowflakes. The things that become important are your
friends and family and pets, the life you've lived and the life you will live, the knowledge and accomplishments, those you have helped and those who have helped you. The Joy of breathing that next breath and the feel of the one or two parts of your body that haven't gone numb from the cold. You think of those you care about and are happy they are somewhere warm and safe, and you will be somewhere warm and safe soon too.

Not that I encourage all of you to go out and ride in the next blizzard, but we have all been there and it is an experience we will never forget. So the next time it is bitter cold and the snow is coming down like and icy blanket and you see some poor bastard out there in the cold and snow on a scoot, think about the last time we were there, and wish him or her luck, because that poor bastard may be you looking in the handlebar mirror of your own scoot. Thanks for reading my Sunday sermon, good luck and stay warm, there's a cup of coffee around the next bend.