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Dear Reader,
It was warm and sunny, but all of a sudden in the middle of the band's second set, it was pouring rain. I was at an annual music/food All Faith Food Bank Fundraiser for Hunger and there weren't many places to take cover, so I squeezed in under the edge of a tiny white tent that was covering the soundboard equipment for the band.
A big ruffian-looking bald guy with tattoos covering his arms, was holding a blue tarp up over the sides of the equipment to keep it dry, and I could tell from the leather jacket he was wearing, that he was a biker.
"Would you like me to hold that for you?" I asked him, hoping he'd give me the okay to squeeze in underneath the tent. I know it was a stupid "shelter-from-the storm" pick-up line, but he laughed and more importantly I was "in". He handed me the tarp and he went to help his partner secure the other side.
Other people kept trying to worm their way underneath the tent, but he'd shoo them out with his hand and a nasty, "Don't Even Think About It!" look. The band was ending its set and the next act wasn't going on until the rain died down. We stood waiting together in silence for quite awhile when he turned and said, "Thanks," and then went back to fiddling with the equipment.
Pretty soon a friend of his showed up and the two of them started talking about bikes and whether or not people should be required to wear helmets. Even "my" biker guy was in favor of wearing a helmet, but he didn't want to be required to wear one. And the next thing I knew they were trading stories about friends who had "dumped" their bikes. Stories about bikes tipping over, yet their riders still hung on while their bikes slide down the highway, but "he walked away without a scratch!" They both shook their heads in agreement that a guy who hung on when he dumped his bike was insane.
"Dump the bike...Yeah man...dump the bike."
The three of us were standing so close together that it felt like I was part of the conversation, and before I analyzed whether or not I really was, I started telling my own bike story. "I had an accident on a bike once, too. I wasn't driving, but I had my arms wrapped tightly around the guy who was, but apparently not tight enough. A car turned when it wasn't suppose to, hit us, and I flew off the bike and smacked into a guy driving a convertible. Then I ricocheted off of his chest, and landed on the other side of the highway. I don't remember the ride to the hospital because I was unconscious, but I was wearing a helmet, which the doctor said saved my life. It was funny, because when I woke up in the emergency room, I didn't know my name--hadn't a clue who I was--but I did remember where I worked. I told the nurse to call my work, describe me and tell them I wouldn't be in."
When I finished telling my story--and there was that moment of silence when you're waiting for some kind of response from your listeners--it got tense. Oh dear, did I step over my social bounds here? I was relieved when they both finally nodded and gave me an accepting, but weird "You've really ridden a bike? Who would've guessed?" look.
I think my own biker tale got the sound guy's curiosity going, because after his friend left, he asked me what I did for a living. When I told him I was a writer, he moved in a little closer and in a low voice started telling me his story.
(And I'll have to continue my column tomorrow--tune in.)
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com
P.S. Need a good laugh? Don't miss this week's special book, Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement by Rodney Rothman. To sample the book and enter the free book give away, go to:
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READ THE CLASSICS: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/master3/mweb/path17-1.html
Great event, wasn't it! Too bad there wasn't a bigger turn out, then again, there were a few other things going on over the weekend!
Especially enjoyed Twinkle and Rick Derringer!
Looking forward to my handful of M & M's and coffee while I read part 2 tomorrow morning!
Posted by: anonymous | April 19, 2006 at 04:30 PM