A Letter to The Princess

It seems like forever since I visited you here, but Spring is my prime time.  I've been so busy lately in the business and so focused on my day to day that there frankly just hasn't been any time.  My mind has been off and in the trenches and thus, finding a spark of inspiration for this blog has been more than tough.  But, you know,  inspiration can come from any direction.

Let me begin.

There's always a feeling of melancholy at the end of a road trip.  Reflective thoughts on the miles you've ridden, the places you've been and the people you've met.  There is a bit of sadness that is hard to shake, but also the excited sense of anticipation at what lays ahead, that next trip.  What adventures will it bring? As I write, there is another journey that is coming to an end, and, like road trips, another journey about to begin.

A little over 10 years ago, I found myself making my way through this world as a single father of two little boys.  Through whatever stroke of luck or touch of grace, I met Angie and we began to date.  We had been dating several weeks when we met the "rest" of our collective "package deals".  Hers came in the form of a beautiful little 7 year old girl named Haiden.  Now, keep in mind, I am the youngest of four boys.  Until my nieces came in the late 80's, it had been over 30 years since a girl had been born anywhere in my family.  It's a common joke to say that men know very little about women, but I knew absolutely nothing about little girls.

But here I was.  The relationship between Angie and I grew quickly, as did my fondness for Haiden.  Angie was doing an amazing job as a single mother working two jobs to raise and support her daughter. It was not a long courtship before I fell in love, though I'm not sure which beautiful, blue eyed brunette I fell in love with first.  I think back on the days of playing game cube in the floor with Haiden, and of Bratz dolls and Barbies. Evenings spent sprawled on the couch watching TV, her delicate frame lying on top of me like a blanket.  I am warmed by the thoughts of those nights that I would tuck her into bed.  Picking her up, long legs wrapping around my waist, head on my shoulder as I carried that sweet girl to bed, and covered her with a quilt.  A Scooby Doo video was a must as well as the final words of the night, "Good night sweetheart, I love you."

Angie and I married and the boys came to live with us full time and as such we were able to completely blend our families.  We set off down the road of life. 

By the time you get to read this, one journey for Haiden will come to a close.  My Princess is graduating from High School and will soon begin the next of life's adventures. 

I had sat down tonight to get some of my thoughts about this milestone out in front of me to begin to sort them all out.  I decided to use this blog as the venue for those thoughts.  By the time you read it, I don't know how much I will have changed, or deleted, or just kept between Haiden and I, but....

This is my letter to my Princess...

     I always knew this day was coming. It's hard for me to imagine what life was like before you arrived in it. I had a friend a long time back who also had sons, about the same age as Carter and Brandon. He would always tell me, "Buddy, there's nothing like a daughter". I never completely grasped what he was telling me. It's not that the love one has for sons is any less, but when you came along, it clicked. That love one has for a daughter is different. 

      There was something special about you from the moment I met you. A sparkle in your eyes and an understanding of the world and life that I'd never seen in a child your age. You were smart beyond your own good and wise beyond your years, yet your heart was as tender and affectionate as a baby. It has been such a privilege to watch you grow, to see you change. I think back with fond memory of your passage from childhood into a young lady. You'd become a teenager and with it brought you new challenges as well as new challenges for your mother and I. You learned about life along with us. Parents become accustomed to sleepless nights and worry and we were no exception but you learned from your experiences and learned how to make your way, as well as leave your mark. I watched in loving awe as the cocoon opened and out into the world flew the butterfly.

     Your mother and I have never used the term "step".  There are no "step parents" or "step children" in our home, only parents and children.  I have never looked at you with any eyes other than that of a father who loves every fiber of your being. I've told you before, I might not have arrived in your life until you were seven, but God knows, I got here as fast as I could.  I hope you've always felt the authenticity of my love for you.  I have given you all that I have in my heart and soul and along with your mother, I have done my best to raise you into the splendid young woman you've turned out to be.  Thank you for giving me that chance.  Thank your for accepting me into your life.  Thank you for taking my sons to be your brothers, and for loving them no differently than if you'd been there the day they were born.  Thank you for letting me have the heart of your mother. 


     Thank you for allowing me to stand in the gap for you.....


     And now, here you are.  The great bridge between adolescence and adulthood.  You are focused and prepared to set the world on its ear. I can't wait to see what lies ahead for you.  Whatever it is, you will be excellent at it.  Why shouldn't you be?  You've always been perfect in my eyes. The world belongs to you.  Go and make it a better place, my Princess.  With every breath in my lungs and every beat of my heart, I love you Haiden Leigh. 

I hope all of you will join me in congratulating Haiden Leigh Diffee on her graduation with Honors from South Gibson County High School.  She will continue working at the store in Jackson through the summer until the time that she will pack her bags and move to Murfreesboro to attend college at Middle Tennessee State this fall.  She'll be working for my brother Tom over at the Murfreesboro store.  Y'all stop by and see her before she leaves and breaks my heart again...

Thanks for listening and as always, Ride Safe and with Purpose.

Scott

Doing Something for Dalton...

Ok folks.  I knew I'd end up bringing this topic up at some point soon, but I wasn't exactly sure when.  As I've said, this blog is where I talk about things that are important to me.  They will nearly always revolve around motorcycling, but not today.

Anyone who knows me also knows that my children are the most important things in my world and I'm blessed with three of them.  I hope you've had a chance to meet them at some point along the way.  My youngest is 12 years old and his name is Brandon.  He's my 'rider'.  He loves to go with me any chance he gets.  Last April, I was fortunate enough to get to take a road trip with him as we set out to conquer a few thousand miles and raise awareness of a disease called Cystic Fibrosis.  CF is a genetic disorder that causes the lungs and digestive system to fill with and become clogged by a thick sticky mucus that eventually kills those who have it, generally by respiratory failure. Brandon has it.  Now, when Brandon was diagnosed with the disease at birth, we were told that CF would claim its victim, on average, at 20 years of age.  Now, thanks to the funds raised by organizations like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation ( www.cff.org )great advancements in medicine and treatments have stretched that mortality rate into the 30's, but that still leaves us with no cure.  They are getting closer, but not there yet.  Some time I'll go into greater detail of what life is like for children (and now adults) with CF, but that's not what this post is about.

All this leads me to the news I got this morning.  I was informed that during the night, CF, the disgusting monster that it is, claimed the life of an 11 year old boy in Lexington named Dalton.

I'd not ever had the privilege of meeting Dalton in person, nor have I been able to meet his parents.  All that I know about him and his family is what I've learned through others.  I do know that Dalton's health has been failing rapidly for some time.  I've been told that Dalton has had to make so many frequent trips to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis (the same place I take Brandon for care) that both of his parents have lost their jobs due to taking time off. 

I heard stories this morning of a frantic mother calling the on-call doctor at the CF center and explaining exactly what was happening to Dalton's poor weak body at that very minute and hearing the words on the other end of the phone, instructions to please do the following, "turn off the machine and hold him tightly.  It's time."



I am a CF parent.  Don't think that as I look into his face that I don't see the face of my 12 year old CF'er.  Dalton was the child of all CF parents.  CF parents are not doctors.  We are not scientists.  We can offer care, but not find cures.  We are all helpless at times like this.  There's nothing left to do for Dalton.  He's safe.  Running, laughing, and breathing easy right now, but his parents are left here on this Earth to pick up the pieces.

I've been told that there are some extremely pressing financial issues that are laying at the feet of Dalton's family.  I want to try to help, but I don't know what all of the specifics are. 

All this leads me down to a super simple request.  The weather in Jackson TN is going to be absolutely gorgeous this weekend.  On Saturday the 14th, while you are out enjoying it, I'd like you to come by the store, 326 Carriage House Drive.  There's going to be a guy that looks like me standing our front serving hot dogs off the grill.  You've seen me do it, and yeah, I'm pretty good at it.  As always, they'll be free.  This time though, there will be a little bucket sitting in front of me.  If you feel so inclined, come by and grab a dog and drop a quarter in it.  Maybe a dollar, or ten, or a hundred.  I don't care how much.  Maybe just a prayer for a broken family over in Lexington that could sure use them right now.

Thanks for considering it at least.

Ride safe and with purpose, and do it with Dalton Wallace on your mind.

A Check-In from the Road

I've waited all winter for the season to arrive, and it's finally here. Road trip time. I've said from the get go, this blog is about life, and most importantly, life on a motorcycle. The nexus of motorcycle life to me, is the road trip, a break away from life. A change of scenery. From time to time, I'll offer these small check ins, glimpses of my experiences on a motorcycle.

This trip is a special one, not just because its the first of the year. This is what we call, "The District Ride". I'm joined, not only by my wife Angie and brothers Tim and Tom, and our friends Randy and Susan Yarber but also by several colleagues in the HD business. We do this ride a couple times a year. Joining us is Joey Rock, my HD district manager, and Bill Graham, our field service rep for Harley. Also on the ride are my great friends and fellow dealers, Shad Zimbro from Black Diamond HD, and Bryan and Carolyn Marsh from HD of Jonesboro. Bryan has led us on a magnificent ride through the mountains and foothills of north Arkansas. We've riden along streams and picturesque vistas and drug our foot pegs as we conquered to twisty corners of these "must ride" roads. We made our way to Eureka Springs and The Basin Park Hotel. I'll try to figure out how to post some pictures.

There's no describing what days like this do to clear the mind. The wind is crisp, the roads challenging, and all of the stresses of my week are but fleeting memories.

Road trips. Serenaded by my sound track. All is right in my world.

See you on the road soon.

Ride safe and with purpose.


SMB

A Guest Blog from another Bump on the Road

I think Spring has Sprung....  I actually meant to publish this a couple months back, when we were still in the midst of the cold that it references.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy a few thoughts from my Brother, Tim Bumpus.

See you on the road,
SMB

_____________________________________________________________________________

As I sit here looking at the rainy and cold weather, I start to get cabin fever.  Although we only have a couple of months before the spring weather starts, it seems like a long time since I could ride in a T-shirt.  I guess the winter weather helps to make you appreciate the warm weather, at least that’s what I keep telling myself. 

I have a new Screamin’ Eagle Electra Glide Ultra ready at home this year and I can’t wait to get the rides started.  I rode the Road Glide last year and really enjoyed it, so let’s see how the ride compares, since they are both great riding bikes.

As I think about what rides I will be doing this year, I can’t help but reminisce about the trips I rode last year.  We took a 3 day trip through Arkansas with stops in Eureka Springs, down to Ozark Arkansas, Hot Springs, and then home.  For anyone who thinks you have to ride for days to get a change of scenery, you should take this trip.  There are some great scenic roads with hills and curves, and some unique towns along the way.  The “Pig Trail” is an especially scenic  motorcycle ride.

Probably the best trip I have taken in a few years is the ride to the Grand Canyon I made this past June.  We had about 15 people with us and had a great ride.  The idea was to ride straight out to Sedona AZ, with a little side trip to Raton New Mexico, to visit one of the Robilios.  We spent three days in Sedona and just toured the area.  If you have never been there, this is a must do trip.  To get to Sedona, you must go down the Oak Creek Canyon out of Flagstaff.  This is probably one of the prettiest 25 mile roads I have ridden.  We also made visits to Prescott, to visit the old western bars, to the mining town of Gerome, and the surrounding towns.  We also spent one day at the Grand Canyon.  It is amazing how an erosion problem thousands of years ago can make a magnificent view today.  Pictures cannot do it justice.

We decided to leave one day early to make a ride through Monument Valley.  With the dust devils blowing through there and the tumbleweeds everywhere, I felt like we were in the Wild West, only on iron horses.  From the back roads to the Bar-B-Que Spam we had along the way, it certainly was a memorable trip.

I can’t wait to plan the trips I will be making this year, but I know it will be fun and adventurous on my new Ultra.  The bike nights are fun and the poker runs give you a chance to see friends throughout the day, I love the road trips the most. 

Everyone ride safe this year, and enjoy your motorcycle in your own way,

Tim

__________________________________________________________________

Thanks Tim.  I love ya.   Y'all go see Tim over in Memphis whenever you get the chance.

SMB

Characters

In my previous entry to this blog, I hung my head in shame for not taking advantage of the unseasonably warm winter weather to take a ride on my day off.  No such chance today.  I was not and did not let this day get away from me.  I didn't have all day today, but I did get close to a hundred miles in.  I love my Mondays.  Everything looks different when you conduct your "Saturday activities" on a Monday.  I think its probably because the biggest chunk of "regular society" is off the grid at work.  What's left out there is worth taking note of.  We clipped up the road, heading north up into Carroll County.  I took note of a man sitting in a folding chair out in his front yard, shirtless, catching a few rays.  Now, keep in mind, it's pretty today, but not necessarily what I'd consider "sun bathing" weather.  Nonetheless, there sat this soul, soaking in the rays, probably for the first time since the cool air began to arrive back in the fall.  I could see him from a hundred yards off or so as we approached, and he saw us as well.  Forward in his chair he leaned, waving his arm at us as hard as he could, his smile easily visible as it shone through his grey beard.  Happiness poured from him in that moment.  I found him to be nothing short of fascinating.  I have no idea what his name was and have never met the man in my life, but he was interesting. A Character.

Now, when I say "character" I am not referring to "ones character" or what, as Websters defines as "Character-The aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing".  I'm using the word "character" to describe someone.  To me, a character is someone that stands out from the crowd, a true 'individual'.  Now, I don't mean goofball, as that describes a completely different type of person, though the worlds 'characters' are sometimes made up of goofballs and weirdo's, but also geniuses and saints.  Characters add color to the world.  Characters make the world interesting and make life exciting.  Without meeting him or knowing anything about him, something told me that the "Shirtless Waver of Hwy 70" was a character, someone that had a story to tell.

We stopped in today at one of my favorite West Tennessee destinations, the Hampton's Store, right in the middle of Downtown Skullbone Tennessee.  The Hampton's Store is the classic "General Store" where you can get all of your "Skullbone TN" merchandise, plus a couple quarts of oil, a bottle of coke, some BC powders, a toy tractor, and a box of shotgun shells, all pretty much within arms reach of each other.  The store is, and always has been run by Mr Landon and Ms Ruby Hampton.  While there, Ms Ruby whipped us up a couple of her famous bologna and salad dressing sandwiches, on white bread, of course.  The perfect dinner when accompanied by a bag of Toms potato chips and a coke, or "Co-Cola" as my grandmother called them.  Mr Landon is one of the world's great "characters", and one of my favorites.  He and Ms Ruby could easily own one of the million cookie cutter "convenience stores" that sit on every corner of the world, selling the same old "Starbuck-esque" lattes and fountain drinks, and perhaps even one of the bland, pre-packaged ham sandwiches that sit sappily in the walk in fridges waiting for someone to take them home.  But no, they run this absolute gem in the rough.  Characters.

Characters don't do things the way the rest of society does.  Thank God for that.  The world needs characters.  We're not all characters and that's ok too.  The world needs us both, but its the characters of the world that make things fun, that add depth and color to our lives.  Characters don't necessarily adhere to the rules as they pertain to fashion, or order, or symmetry, as the rest of the world dictates.  The "normal" world doesn't always know what to do with characters or what to make of them.  Characters are often ridiculed for being different.  Often judged long before anyone knows anything about them, just for "not being right", in their eyes.  Let's take the waver.  Many might see an otherwise "able bodied" man sitting in his front yard on a "work day" and label him as lazy at best, or crazy, a loser at worst.  Why?  Do we know what his motivation is?  Perhaps the man is an entrepreneur.  A designer, an artist... Perhaps a veteran, retired from a life of service.  Perhaps he's like me and just taking a day to not work.  "But, why was he waving, and shirtless to boot?".  That didn't fit the mold.  That's where characters live, where the mold doesn't fit.

I love the business I'm in.  I get to see characters every day.  Good ones.  Productive members of society, managers and labor, landowners and field hands, engineers and artists.  The people I interact with day in and day out come from every corner of humanity, "normal" to "uh...wow".  I'm so fortunate to get to meet the great characters of the world, both as customers, but also as colleagues.  Some of my mentors in this business are characters.  I've mentioned Click Baldwin before in this blog, perhaps the greatest character that the Harley dealer network has every known. 

I'm so thankful for getting the chance to ride today.  And thankful for the characters that I came across.  Take my advice, drop your guard and open your eyes and pay attention to the characters.  You need them.  An "old friend" once told me, "You get more attention burning down the barn than you do taking out the trash."  Indeed.

Ride Safe, Ride Often, and Ride with Character.

SMB

Karma

I would like everyone to thank me for the beautiful weather we are having today in Jackson Tennessee. 54 degrees (which in January is to be adjusted up to 84 degrees, my rule, no arguing), brilliant sunshine, light breeze out of the north, perfect.  The reason that I'm to be thanked is that its my karma that produced it.  Stick with me on this, I'll explain.

Mondays are typically my Sunday.  And this past week, I had big plans for my day off.  I'd looked at the forecast, calling for sunny skies and high 50's to low 60's and made up my mind that I was going to ride.  I didn't quite know how far or to where, but I was going to do it.  Perhaps a ride up to Shemwell's Bar B Q in Cairo, Ill.  Maybe a loop down around Pickwick Lake and into Alabama and back up the east side of the river, no telling.

But.....

I, like many others watched the storms brewing up on Sunday.  I, like many of you stayed glued to the weather radio and Dave Brown that night, watching with some native West Tennessee apprehension as to what might be unfolding on a 70 degree windy-as-hell January evening.  I then took a look at the Monday forecast.  No big change from what had previously been reported, other than a slight dip in the high temps and windy.  Then my mind started screwing with me.  What else did I have that needed to be accomplished?  Did I really have "time" to be out riding?

We rode the storms out Sunday night and, like every other Monday, I was up at the crack of dawn to get the kids out the door for school.  The first light showed low hanging clouds, remarkably cooler temps than the day before and a blustery wind.  The roads were still completely wet from the overnight rain.  I began making excuses for going back to bed.  I could feel a slight tickle in my throat.  I yawned a little more than usual.  I told myself just how nice it would be to sleep the dreary morning away and catch up on some much needed rest.  I thought about those two tangly long haired sons of mine that I sent off to school and how badly they needed haircuts.  I reminded myself about needing to have a locksmith out to repair a bolt on one of my doors, a perfect storm of excuses to not ride.  And I took the bait, hook, line and sinker.

I did sleep in.  Turns out I didn't feel any better when I woke up at nearly 11 than I did when I laid down at 7:15.  I did have the locksmith out to fix the bolt, and it was no more fixed yesterday than it would've been if I'd waited until today to get it done.  The boys came home from school and I loaded them up to take them to get haircuts, only to find out that the regular barber was booked and the other one closed. 

The only thing that worked out was the weather.  Brilliant sunshine, nearly 60 degrees, light wind out of the north.  Perfect day to ride.  And my excuses and I missed it. 

Today's perfect day is karma.  I can't ride today.  I have a million tasks in front of me at the store that are preventing me from taking advantage of this beautiful day.  I've walked out back several times to monitor the progress on a project we have going on and the weather mocks me at every step.  The Big Red Sled sits out back, glistening in the sunlight, and frowning at me, ashamed at how I wimped out yesterday.

A wasted day.  Don't make a habit of it.  I won't either.  Back to work...sigh.

Ride OFTEN, Ride Safe, and Ride with Purpose.

Scott

Resolutions

Happy New Year!  Let me begin by thanking all of you that have been taking a few minutes of your life to read my ramblings.  A special thanks to you that have stopped me in the store and humbled me with your kind comments.  I truly do appreciate it.

New Years is the time when we make "resolutions" to do things during the coming year.  Small promises to ourselves to do new things, do things differently, or perhaps stop doing things.  Smoking, weight loss, etc.  I've never been much of one to make these promises to myself.  I guess that I couldn't stand the pressure.  I guess that the fear of not being able to keep up the promise might have been greater than my desire to change.  That being said, I do have a few resolutions that I'd like to make and each of them surround my passion for the greatest sport in the history of mankind, motorcycling.

Days like this kill me. 40ish degree temps, fog, spitting rain, snowy forecast... This is the time of year that can kill the soul of motorcyclists.  I do everything I can to keep that biker soul sharp and my mind races with everything I want to do and wish I could be doing right now.  It's these thoughts that lead me to this list of resolutions.  Some of them may seem pretty easy for some of you and others perhaps more challenging.  Some may seem silly.  I don't care.  It's my list.  Here goes...

1.  I will ride at least 8,000 miles this year.
     This may not sound like a huge one to a few of you out there, but for me, it's a biggie.  One of the downfalls of doing what I do is that during the best riding times, I'm working.  I know that there are ways to still get the miles in and I intend to exploit as many of those opportunities as I can.  The average rider, we've found, is riding anywhere between 7,000 and 10,000 miles per year, based on the mileage we've seen on bikes in the store.  Last year was one of my better years for miles and I logged about 6,500.  I'll do better this year.  I have some destinations in mind.  I've got to stop "hoping" I can make it, and start "making it".

2.  Unless absolutley necessesary, while on a motorcycle road trip, my bike will not lead me to "chain restaurants".
     This is one of those you might find a bit silly, but to me, it's not.  Now, I'm not "hating on" chain restaurants.  There are some fine people that work at Burger King and I have some great entrepreneur friends that own these businesses.  That being said, when I get on my bike, I want to escape the world of "sameness".  I want variety.  I want something "off the wall".  Something local.  I look at Mom N Pop locally owned eateries like they are landmarks.  Try one.

3.  Continue to remind myself that interstates have no soul and only serve one purpose to the traveling motorcyclist.
     That purpose?  To make time.  Whenever possible, get off I-40 and get on Rt 66.  You won't regret it.  The soul of America isn't on the Eisenhower Expressway System.

4.  See three different mountain ranges.
     Self explanitory.

5.  See an old friend.
     Also self explanitory.

6.  Take my kids riding with me more than I did last year.
     I got to take one great road trip last year with one of my kids.  I have two more that I want the opportunity to do the same thing.  I have one leaving for college this year.  Time is running out.

7.  Make a difference.

     I'm not really 100% sure what this means yet, but I can't get it out of my head.  When it happens, I'll know it.

8.  I'll enjoy the sheer beauty of cheese and cracker lunches on the side of the road at every opportunity.

     Thanks to my brother Tom, the master of roadside meals, for opening my eyes on this one.

Now, in the meantime, I'll go over my gear.  Make sure it's ready to go at a moments notice.  I'll look at that big red motorcycle pointed at the door.  I'll watch the forecast and my calendar.  And I'll dream about making it all come true.

Ride Safe my Brothers and Sisters.

Scott