Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Even though they don't live with me...


a big AMEN

I think that many people try as hard as they can to avoid death; thier strategy being to avoid any risk at all. Personally, some people may dig that kind of 'safe' existence; I call that being dead, myself. Life is meant to be explored -- there's many things out there that can kill a person. If I spent my life avoiding every hazzard, My life would be miserable. I'd much rather live a full life with a bit of risk rather than bank on a long one of mundane boredom

Gotta like a place where I can agree with everyone ! I started to ride at age 38 and my mother still had a (vocally) hard time with it. I also did my share of horseback riding when I was younger and I very much agree that horses are more dangerous than motorcycles. I also have a young (2 yoa) son and I did a lot of thinking about my new hobby when I started. He is the one I'm thinking of when I gear up - all my gear - all the time. I also have an 18 year old I held up from riding for 2 years (he's been eyeing a bike since age 16). Now he has some street experience in cars, has gotten enough tickets to slow him down, and has a good reason to need to ride (gas prices). I can identify with many of the points of view expressed here and just want to say - remember your parents are just worried about you - keep your chin up - ride safe - gear up (all the time) - and have fun!

See ya on the road!

Coffee

Henriettaah,

When I was 17 I wanted to buy my neighbors' Honda Hawk, but my dad made it darned clear that wasn't going to happen. So by age 52 I thought I could roughly do as I pleased. I explained to my 82 year old father I'd bought a bike, bought safety gear, signed up for the training class, and was'nt going to do anything stupid. His response, "You already have! Too many people are counting on you to do something like that!"
When I rode the new bike to my parent's house for the first time (last month), I rode with my 68 year old neighbor who had just bought a new bike. His comment, "Are you two going through your second childhood?" We both nodded. Since then, I visit at least once a week on the bike and take them home grown fruit, DVD's, and the lastest news from our house.
Point is, keep being yourself, let the negative comments slide, and gradually your new hobby will be accepted.
Good luck!

Kal wrote:Must_be_ill...

Cant_breathe...

Agreeing_with_Zootech_for_second_time_in_less_than_a_week...


Need_Doctor!

Medic!!!

im having simialr thoughts as well...

i just had my first child...so i just had all the "oh my...what if" thoughts and conversations with my parents and wife and wife's parents...so i feel ya sista...its tough...just everytime you ride...thank your diety...and clear your head and enjoy the minutes you have with your self...put everything else away...then live...and when your done...thank said diety again...and think about what you could have done better and safer next time...good luck.

If you did everything your parents wanted you to do you'd be living their life and not your own. I think it's awesome you got a bike. Your parents will have to learn to deal with it. Keep your chin up.

slider03 wrote:Henriettaah,

When I was 17 I wanted to buy my neighbors' Honda Hawk, but my dad made it darned clear that wasn't going to happen. So by age 52 I thought I could roughly do as I pleased. I explained to my 82 year old father I'd bought a bike, bought safety gear, signed up for the training class, and was'nt going to do anything stupid. His response, "You already have! Too many people are counting on you to do something like that!"
When I rode the new bike to my parent's house for the first time (last month), I rode with my 68 year old neighbor who had just bought a new bike. His comment, "Are you two going through your second childhood?" We both nodded. Since then, I visit at least once a week on the bike and take them home grown fruit, DVD's, and the lastest news from our house.
Point is, keep being yourself, let the negative comments slide, and gradually your new hobby will be accepted.
Good luck!

I waited until I was 53. I too had gone through life being told what I can and can't do and I finally woke up one day and said to heck with them all. I went through the whole learning, riding, shopping for a bike without telling anyone until after it was a done deal. Then one day I just showed up on my new bike.
My Mom still gets a little antsy about my riding, but she is coming around. Parents will always behave like parents no matter how old we get.

Putting things in perspective, I work in the insurance industry. If I had to stop doing things because of the things I see, I would not have a life at all. People who live outside of a perspective will always see danger. Your parents are right to worry, it's what parents do. I see car accidents, must I stop driving a car? I see ladder accidents, must I ban ladders from my house? I see lightning strikes, must I stay indoors? Do not succumb to emotional blackmail, you have made the decision, we have followed your posts, buying leather gear ect,. You are an adult and a parent yourself and it looks like you are being very responsible about biking. Carry on doing what you are doing and understand that what your parents are showing is a fear for you. Once they see that your riding is no more dangerous than sitting in front of the telly, stuffing your face with heart attack inducing junk food and inviting a coronary, maybe they will stop being so fearfull.

I'm just finding a bike to relearn on, but I can tell you right now that my mother won't be ok with it. She's a nurse and likes to tell me about all the horrible things she sees. The problem being that she sees motorcycle accidents every day.

Of course I consider it to be incredibly irrational considering that area nurses are the most obese group of people I've met and I can't imagine that is a person in the U.S. who doesn't know the dangers of obesity.

My stepmother on the other hand is a reconstructive plastic surgeon who will never ride a motorcycle. However, she's had plenty of family members ride them and understands that motorcycles aren't nearly as dangerous as they are made out to be. She endorses me getting a bike.

If a reconstructive plastic surgeon says it's ok... who is anyone to disagree?

P.s.- she gets a salary from a University Hospital and doesn't work on commission. Just point that out.