Posted this on another site, thought I'd throw it up here. Just voicing my minor frustration and wishful thinking...
So... you live somewhere near the Columbia River Gorge. Too far from Portland/Vancouver, too far from Yakima, too far from Tri Cities, too far from everything fun to be very consistant or committed. You wish there was about 6 or 8 couples in your area who liked what you liked. Riding and socializing on occassion, without a lot of BS.
What you have in mind is maybe one or two group rides a month with people you know. Maybe hit some roads you don't normally ride or didn't know about. Maybe stop for lunch somewhere along the way. Maybe even have a beer with lunch without gettiing beat up by someone with a bunch of pins on his vest... You'd preffer not to have to pay dues or sew something you don't particularly care for onto your vest... maybe you don't even care for vests... You also don't care to turn your riding and excitement for bikes and biker friends into some kind of a territorial war. Or having to always explain what the patch on your back means. Or long arguments over how to grow the club, or aspiration af being "nation wide".
You got a bike? Cool!
You got a metric? Cool... as long as you can take a little friendly ribbing LOL
You got a buddy who's in the military? Cool
You got a buddy who's a cop? Cool
You got a buddy who's in an M/C? Cool
You've never been to a rally? Cool
You've been to every rally? Cool
Your wife teaches Sunday school? Cool
Your wife used to be a stripper? Cool... especially if she gives free lessons to the wives. (just kidding)
See,,, no one cares. It's aint about that!
Then about twice a year this group gets together at someone's house, somewhere that there aren't a ton of neighbors, somewhere that you can pitch tents or park a few RVs,,, somewhere that you can fire up the Bar-BQ, ice down a tub of beer, turn up the old road music, and swap stories and blow off some steam. No one is forced to do anything, or not do anything, just be yourself. No one is trying to swap wives. No one is trying to score a baggy. No one brought a crack addict girl friend that they met at a bar. No one is trying to get your wife in the sack. It don't matter what you do for a living, because no one is there to bitch about work, or bitch about cops, or bitch about laws, or bitch about anything for that matter. It's all about the good stuff!
Then after a year or two you get pretty close to most of them, and one day your truck won't start. Hey, someone's a mechanic. Or your freezer went on the fritz... Hey someone has a used one their not using. Or,,, the list goes on.
After a couple years, a few of the couples decide it would be cool to go see Sturgis together... or the California Coast, or you name it. So,, you set up your vacation to make that the big trip. Huge memories! And you really get to know your new family.
All this and no dues! No patches! No structure! No voting! No fund raisers for a political lobiest! Whoever had the idea for the ride, is the leader for the day! Everyone is equal! And your life and your family comes first. If you can't make it to the gathering, its no big deal. Catch ya next time.
Oh ya and one more thing... you never hear about what someone said about you when you weren't there. Because gospip is frowned on.
No one is bragging about how they know all about the M/Cs and this ain't a real M/C. Right dude, It AIN'T! No one is puffing out the chest looking for a fight. Or showing off their arsenal. Or trying to turn it into a mini-Sons of Anarchy joke.
It's riding. It's pallin around. It's laughing it up. It's what being a biker used to be all about. Freedom to be YOU and share that with a handfull of others like you!
If you could just find it, Right?