Thursday, May 29, 2008

Freedom


To me, motorcycles and airplanes are very similar. Just ask an airplane pilot or a motorcycle rider/pilot why they fly or ride. You will get one common answer.

Freedom

To be free on the road or free in the air, there is nothing like it. As Americans I believe we have an innate yearning to be free from whatever we feel holds us down. Be it just another stressful day at work, life not going exactly how we planned, or just to get away and disengage for an hour or more.

Airplane flying takes more training and is a bit more expensive (sometimes) than motorcycles. The beauty of motorcycles is that you can start with a $100 fixer-upper from the junkyard and feel the same basic freedom as you can riding a $100,000 custom made bike from Orange County Choppers. You may get less “cool points” from the casual observer or snobbish biker. However, in the big picture of life it really doesn’t matter what other people think of your bike, it only matters what you think about your bike. I hope you never get brain cancer, or any cancer for that matter, but I can tell you from experience that life takes on a new view after you are diagnosed and you care less about what people think and more about what is really important.

So what am I saying? I am saying enjoy life, love your family and friends (and tell them often that you love them), and don’t miss out on life because you are too busy. Take time to smell the roses my friends.

In addition, as Martin Luther King Jr said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” Ask yourself what else you could be doing to help others. Make a difference.

Lastly, dance like no one is looking (and have a couple beers to lighten up your feet…at least that's what my wife suggests to me).

Cheers, Brian “Brain” Kissinger
www.firstgiving.com/ridebrainride
http://www.brainsflight.com/

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