Things Can be Adjusted!

Well going back a bit in my learning to ride saga, I learned that things can be adjusted. To start out I was riding up and down a dead-end street near the house. Joe would ride the bike over there and I would get on and ride up and down the street. Joe and the dogs would follow in the car. He was recording the whole thing out of boredom I am sure. At the end of the street, two Ostriches came to the fence and watched me walk the bike around in the circle to go the other way. Every week we went and did this and the Ostriches were always there. I really wonder what they thought the creature with the silver helmet and the big coat was? HaHa.
The first time I tried to turn the bike around on the narrow end. I lost it and dropped it. I just let go and stepped off. Automatic reaction from falling off many a horse in my life. I was really worried if Joe's heart would handle this. But he said he had decided to let me learn to ride on the bike, so he had resigned himself to the fact that something could happen. As it turned out it just scratched the pipe that was a cheap slip on that he had gotten for free to cut the noise down. After this however, I was to paranoid to turn the bike around by myself. So I would park. He would turn it around. I would get on and continue my ride.

So one evening he suggested I might want to try to shift into second gear. I was mortified as I had tried this but I had to lift my foot up off the peg to shift and I would be imbalanced. I was fearful of dropping the bike again and didn't believe I could do it. I went into a tissy that I wasn't going to be able to do this and might as well quit. After my tyraid, he calmly said, " I can adjust the Shifter". All I could say at that point was "Oh". He then went into the garage, I sat on the bike and he adjusted the Shifter. And I was able to shift into second gear, then third and fourth.

As time went on, I found that many issues would arise and adjustments could be made. My point in all this is that learning to ride a motorcycle is much like life in general. Things can be adjusted to make it work for you, so don't give up and stop in the process to learn something new. If I had done that I would still be riding on the back, falling asleep, with my back hurting. I wouldn't have experienced the full on sense of accomplishment that I have now. I love going riding with Joe. I love riding by myself. I love riding the twisties and going on trips. The sense of accomplishment I have from learning to ride has been life changing. My self confidence and ability to put myself out there to try new things has increased to new heights. My effectiveness in my job has increased. I am better able to lift people up and give them renewed hope that they can change things up and find a job.

So if you have the opportunity to learn to ride a motorcycle, I say Go for It!. Don't let the little things hold you back because things can be adjusted!