My 20-year-old good friend lost his dad yesterday in a motorcycle accident. His dad was his world: roommates, best friends, and co-workers. This guy was also a friend of mine, and his cousin has been like a brother to me for 10+ years now... actually, I guess I'm friends with a lot of this family. So I'm off to sunny Florida and they're dealing with this here. That's why it will be bittersweet. I may even miss the funeral, as it will likely be Thursday, or even Friday. The visitation will likely be Wednesday, but I may have to work. I was hoping to take off Wednesday anyway to prepare for my trip. I'll find out tomorrow if I have it off. The upside for this kid is that he has a lot of friends and he is close with his brother and his family overall. The upside for me is that one week from right now I'll be somewhere between the beach bar and the gulf.... or maybe passed out in my hotel room, which is beachfront... WooooHooooooo!
People make choices, and when those choices are made by people you respect and care about, those choices have to be respected. A good friend of mine (let's call him Joe) met his end in the very same way. He was bright and articulate and a far better person than I in every way I can think of. He also had every reason to be fully aware of the risk of riding a motorcycle amongst traffic composed of the type and quality (both drivers as well as motor vehicles) that we see every day on our highways. Yet he chose to do it, not because he thought he was better than the odds. He was way bright enough to know better than that. He chose it because riding his motorcycle was one of the things that made him who and what he was. He chose to ride knowing the odds. There is no question in my mind that if he were to be asked whether he would quit riding if he knew with 100% certainty that this is how he would meet his end, he would probably respond by saying that he didn't doubt it. And he'd continue ride to the end - just as he did. These are courageous people (and in this instance, kind and giving and many other highly positive and productive attributes) who have given what they've got and don't fear for what comes next for them. Their life can and should be celebrated, for they are those on which we depend for support and for inspiration. Bittersweet was the right word. I expect that your friend's father has left a great deal of inpiration to those that all that knew and cared for him - and that's signficant as there's little else that any of us can do past the time we're actually here. You should think of him and what he stood for while you're on the beach and/or at the bar, as he (if he was anything like Joe) would do the same (and more if possible) for you.
