Member-only story
When The Clock Strikes Midlife
It’s time to ride
There are times that must happen to you — Walt Whitman
And midlife is undoubtedly one of them.
I had just returned from a job in Afghanistan when midlife bolted through the door with a burn-out, knocking me around like a helpless leaf in the wind. And leaving me clueless about what to do with the rest of my goddamn life.
Not everyone needs a new beginning.
I did.
I was 52.
Motorcycling ended life as I knew it
I had no plan. So, I signed up for a sabbatical and started motorcycling. It was spring 2018 when I had my first riding lesson. I practiced endless stop-and-go maneuvers in a dull parking lot for days. But in my mind, I was already racing down Route 66.
I sensed I was on to something. But I had no idea that motorcycling would forever change my (mid)life perspectives.
The rewards came instantaneously.
I fell in love with the courage I never knew I had
When we get older, we tend to pack our lives with paralyzing what-ifs and I-am-too-old mantras. Of course, I was terrified to come off, get injured, or even worse.
