|
|
Tuesday, 08 May
2007
Many years ago, on a cold December
night a crusty old biker was returning from a trip to Mexico
with his saddlebags filled with toys and other assorted trinkets
for the kids at a group home, near where he worked.
As he rode along that night thinking how lucky he had been in
life, having a loving riding partner that understood his need to
roam the highways and to his trusty old pan that hadn't let him
down once in the many years they shared the road together.
Well about 40 miles north of the border, in the high desert
lurked a small group of those notorious little critters known as
road gremlins, you know the ones that always leave little
obstacles like, one shoe, boards, pieces of old tires, and dig
the dreaded pot holes for bikers to run over and crash thus
giving the road gremlins a chance to rejoice over their acts of
evil.
Well as the lone wolf of a biker rounded a curve that moonlit
night the gremlins ambushed him, causing him to crash to the
asphalt and skid for always before coming to a stop, next to one
of his saddlebags that had broken free. As he lay there, unable
to move, the road gremlins made their move towards him. Well
this biker not being one to give up started throwing things at
the gremlins as they approached him. Finally with nothing else
to throw but a bell he started ringing it, in hopes to scare off
the dirty little gremlins.
About a half a mile away camped in the desert, were two bikers
sitting around the camp fire talking about their days ride, and
the freedom of the wind blowing in their faces as they rode
across this vast country. In the stillness of the night air,
they heard what sounded to them like church bells ringing and
upon investigating, found the old biker lying along the roadside
with the gremlins about to get him. Needless to say, being part
of the biker brotherhood they preceded to ward off the gremlins
until the last of gremlins ran off into the night.
Being grateful to the two bikers the old road dog offered to pay
them for their help, but as all true bikers do, they refused to
accept any type of payment from him. Not being one to let a good
deed go unnoticed, the old biker cut two pieces of leather from
his saddle bags tassels and tied a bell to each one, then slowly
placed them on each of the bikers motorcycles, as near to the
ground as possible. The tired, old road warrior, then told the
two travelers that with those bells placed on their bikes they
would be protected from the road gremlins and that if ever in
trouble, just ring the bell and a fellow biker will come to
their aid.
So when ever you see a biker with a bell you'll know that he has
been blessed with the most important thing in life -- friendship
from a fellow biker.
THE PURPOSE OF THE
BELL
Many of us have heard
the story about Evil Road Spirits. They are little gremlins that
live on your bike. They love to ride. They're also responsible
for most of your bike's problems. Sometimes your turn signals
refuse to work, or the battery goes dead, the clutch needs
adjustment, or any of several hundred things go wrong. These
problems are caused by Evil Road Spirits.
Road spirits can't live in the presence of the bell. They get
trapped in the hollow of the bell. Among other things, their
hearing is supersensitive. The constant ringing of the bell and
the confined space drives them insane. They lose their grip and
eventually fall to the roadway. (have you ever wondered how
potholes are formed?)
The bell has served its purpose.
If you pick up a bell of your own, the magic will work. But if
your bell was given to you, the power is doubled, and you know
that somewhere you have a special friend helping to look after
you.
So if you have a friend that doesn't have a bell, why not be the
person to give them one? it's a nice feeling for the recipient
to know you personally cared. The bell, plus a good preventive
maintenance program by the bikes owner, will help eliminate the
Evil Road Spirits.
POLISHING THE BELL
It has been a tradition
among some of us, for a long time, to run a brass bell on the
left swing arm, to remember our brothers and sisters who have
gone down riding.
It's a small thing, but the reason a
brass bell is chosen is that, as we ride, it will get dirty and
tarnished. Every time we get down and wash and polish it, we are
reminded of friends lost, and our thoughts turn to the meaning
of being in the wind.
As we ride, and hear the bell ring,
we know that our brothers and sisters are riding with us. How
easy it would be to join them with a single mistake.
And maybe, just maybe, the next time a situation comes up, they
will be there to help us ... as long as we remember them by
polishing the bell.
 |
