I'm 70+ and those thoughts are very common. This year two more high school classmates are gone and last week a long time coworker and friend that retired just after I did. He was fishing in waders that have a tube at the top. He enjoyed going to lakes and float fishing that way. He did not come home that night and the next day someone found him floating at the edge of the lake. He had a heart attack the previous day.

I think Tom would have looked at it as humorous and would be okay with going that way.

I would not regret it if it was from a motorcycle accident, car accident or falling off the roof.

If you give up on doing what you like to do does not increase the length of your life. You are going to die and it is far better to live life the way you choose than trying to hide from death because you can not succeed.

 

everytime I ride with the wife on the back I think of how to protect her if something goes wrong.

 

i told somthing simalar to my nephew when i started taking him out shooting. i just let him know that if an accident happens while we are ever out and he shoots me accidently for him not to worry about.For him to live his life and to keep shooting guns.For him not to have any regrets and for him to go on and live his life normally and dont listen to what anyone else might say because its between me and him and im not mad at him.I would want him to try his best to be a success in life and i wouldnt want some accident(no matter if i die) to get in the way of that.--------he was already 15 or so when we started shooting(i was trying to help him play catch up) he just looked at me weird kinda laughed and said ok.I let him know that i was serious,he became serious and again he said ok.I didnt make him promise but i am glad we had that talk.It would hurt him if he shot me...but i know our talk would also help him eventually stay on the course that i would want him to stay on in life.
DANNYZ71---i know you cant promise your wife just like my nephew couldnt promise me BUT i know our conversation would help him if he ever had to fall back on it.Your wife is being serious.....normally i wouldnt tell anyone to lie but this time i think you should if you have to and never ever say otherwise.It may seem crazy to you but it is important to her.Take her serious and not crazy or pushy or whiney or bitchy or any of those other things we guys label women with.----hope my little story helps on some way.Good luck.----besides at least she cares about you...she is actually worried about your well being after she is gone, thats something ya know.

 

After i got my wide glide the wife decided she wanted a 1200 custom i was all for it and even pushed for her to go look at some she just started riding this year and took the msf class i took it with her for support . I was very proud of her cause alot of women dont want to ride. Proud right up until i followed her the first time she took it out she looked a little unstable to me then my mind started working overtime and i worry everytime she rides but i too believe if your time is up well its up. But i still hate following her because i worry and if i am in front of her I worry about someone running up behind her to close so no winning for me .

 

That does help. Thank you!

And thanks to the rest of you who've replied. I know that life can throw you a curveball at any time. But her comments coming to me literally a couple of days after buying the bike really made me think.

Schu, I worry about that every time she swings a leg over. Never worry about myself, just her.

 

More people drive cars. That's why more people die in cars. people keep on driving cars because they live far away from the places they want to go and we don't have any real mass transit outside of major cities. Riding a mc is much, much more risky than driving a car, of course.



You will die if you don't eat anything for a few weeks.

That's the biggest line of bullshit that seems to be the most popular line in the MC community. People use it to justify all sorts of things.If people really felt that way though, then these same people wouldn't be carrying guns to protect themselves. So even they know it's a bullshit line, they just don't make the connection.

I never take a passenger. I don't want to be responsible for anyone's death but my own. I also don't encourage anyone else to ride a motorcycle. If they want to ride, I won't discourage them, but I won't talk anyone else into it either.

 

I have had several passengers jokingly say to me, "Promise you won't kill me out there", as they got onto the bike.

My answer is always the same, and always with a serious tone: "I can't guarantee that".

My philosophy is; never make a promise that you are not 100% sure of.


.

 

Since we moved to the Tulsa area, my wife doesn't want to ride anymore, too much traffic she says. The only other thing she's said to me, was when we stopped to help at a motorcycle accident a while back where the rider wasn't wearing a helmet...she asked me to start wearing one, which I do; always.
I make it a point not to tell her about all the close calls that happen on a fairly regular basis.

 

Tulsa traffic (includes all the suburbs) doesn't bother me too much. But there are certain time frames that I definately avoid! Luckily, I go to and from work at non-rush hour times. Even then, I wear a helmet when I normally don't at other times.

Oh, and welcome to the Tulsa area!

 

Heard that. I live out by Forest Ridge, so it's not too bad. Definitely stay away from the rush hour hot spots.
Been here since '08...