On Responsibility

This is not a rant. This is simply a question:

Aside from Jeff, and my Mom & Dad, people hate the idea of me getting a motorcycle:

• "Do you know how stupid you'd look on a motorcycle. Poooooo-ser!"


• "You don't strike me as the motorcycle type."


• "You really ought to let this motorcycle thing slide."


• "What does your WIFE think of all this?"


• "Harold, I really think a man should do what he wants, but I really hope you don't get a motorcycle. We like you an awful lot."


• Insert sound of MIL biting her tongue

Well, point of fact, my wife is a study in dichotomy: She loves to talk with me ABOUT motorcycles--different styles, how the ride, pros/cons, etc. She just won't consider me on one as a practical matter. Loves the idea; hates the thought.

Then there's the other group, encouraging me the same way you might encourage a snipe hunt: Simply for the trainwreck factor. They want to see me fail, spectacularly, preferably with video:



So, in summary, where's my responsibility here? This isn't adultery, idol worship, or financial ruin--the Bible's pretty silent on motorcycle ownership & operation. To a part of me, hearing flat 'No' makes about as much sense as being forbidden to eat cornflakes.

To another part of me, I get it. It's scary. It's risky. Other people have a habit of squishing motorcyclists for sport. Worst case scenario is I end-up a drooling vegetable, another statistic on the "Why bikes are dangerous" bandwagon. No amount of life insurance is going to replace someone you love, especially if what caused their demise is preventable.

I rationalize the above with the same sort of Eastern Kentucky fatalism I've always had: You'll die when it's your appointed time, be it slipping in the shower or meeting the wrong end of a tractor/trailer. Others reject that.

::sigh:: I don't know. I have a supreme responsibility to protect and care for my family, but I LIKE this shiny new thing I've learned to do.