Off the Beaten Trail

Rick and I went on a ride yesterday - Wabash BBQ in Excelsior Springs from Lees Summit via the scenic route. I've ridden most of the roads south of the river, but have only been on the county roads north of the river once.

Our first decision was to take O north into Lexington from FF rather than D. 224 is flooded and rather than ride 24 from D we decided to take FF to the county road north into Lexington. I've never been past D on FF and one nice surprise was this place. I suspect I'll be taking Kelli out there sometime soon.

Once we crossed the river I jumped off at J which I thought was the exit we took on my first ride on these roads. Wrong - it was an exit early. No worries - just ride. J ends at the Lexington Airport so we turned right at CC which was very narrow and full of blind curves due to the corn.

2 miles later we ran out of blacktop. While we watched the farm implement go by on the gravel we made the decision to press forward. I have very little experience riding on the gravel and then was as good a time as any to practice.

We headed north for about a mile and came across a left hand turn - I could see a building and some campers which meant civilization so we took the left. Well, the gravel didn't end just there but we came across a cool little campground on a lake I had no idea existed. If we would have had suits with us we could have jumped off the bikes for a little swim.

Both the B&B and Campground were well off the beaten path and looked like awesome places to spend a night or two.

A bonus was riding County Road O again north from 210 to Wood Heights, MO. If you're in KC and own a motorcycle and haven't ridden this road yet do yourself a favor and put it on your list. It's a beautiful stretch of road with plenty of curves and hills.

The Interstate Highway system has all but taken away the adventure of a road trip. In the future, if time allows, I'm going to take the scenic route.

"You're never lost when you're on a motorcycle." -Rick Floyd

Some Quick Birthday Thoughts

I'm one year into the 2nd half century of my life (assuming medical technology continues to accelerate at a rocket pace and I get a full century.) So far the ride's been pretty good.

I was born in Middle Class America to great parents which gave me advantages that most babies born into this world are never afforded. Water flowed out of our taps. Food was always in the cupboard. I was given a world-class education.

Life expectancy in the US is 79 years. In many other underdeveloped countries in Africa I am at or above their life expectancy number. Every single day people younger than me are dying of starvation and easily treated illnesses. It's very sad but I get to do something about it - we sponsor Priscilla, an 11 year old girl in Uganda. A small amount of money each month makes a huge difference in her life and the life of her family. I pray the Amoa's all live well past the 59 years expected in that country.

I married the right woman. I can't tell you how important this has been to me. Like everyone we've had our ups and downs, but we work through the tough times together and never forget that we love each other very much. She and I have been together over half our lives and I pray that we will be together until the end.

No marriage is a fairy tale. Ward and June Cleaver existed only on television. Marriage is hard work. It takes a lot of sacrifice and grace, That is especially true of Kelli in our case. "Saint Kelli" has shown me a LOT of grace over the past 27 years. Like I said, I married the right woman.

I have great kids. They study hard, stay out of trouble, and have picked good friends. After all the grief I gave my parents in the early 80's I'm glad karma didn't bite me in the butt on this one. I've coached them in sports & get to share the floor with them as a basketball official. We've traveled together to some pretty cool places. Between my parents, Kelli & our boys, and our extended family I've hit the family lottery. There's not a bad apple in the bunch.

I have great friends. I'm an extrovert - I like meeting people & getting to know them. I've been blessed by many close friendships and lots of great times.

I have a great job. Included in my friend list are my co-workers. I work for good bosses. I'm doing work that makes a difference and challenges me everyday. I get to develop young talent and help them launch their careers.

I'm healthy. At my age you always have aches & pains, but other than being a little overweight and sore knees I'm blessed. I've seen too many friends & family fight cancer. Many have won the battle. Some have lost. Other than a few weeks of bells palsy back in the mid 90's I have had no health scares.

I'm happy. Your happiness is dependent on you. The little stuff used to effect me a lot more than it does now. I'd rather be happy than sweating the little stuff. Happiness is a choice. Bad days are few and far between. Even when I'm having a bad day (or more)  I'm encouraged by my friend Jeff 's words - "It's a great day in God's world - be sure to see the good." Even when things are bad there is good all around you. Choose to be happy and find the good.

Happy. Healthy. Friends. Family.

Life is good. It's going to be a good day.

Just Be Nice

I'm not always nice. Quite the opposite - sometimes I can be downright mean. Especially to those closest to me. Sometimes I am purposefully mean, but more often than not I am mean without realizing I am being mean.

The closer the relationship the better the chance you've been mean. I've been married nearly 27 years. That's a lot of opportunity to be mean to my wife. Same with the kids. The more you're with someone the more opportunity you have to be mean.

Road rage is a cultural term that has grown out of our intolerance for other's driving habits. This is one area where I have a long ways to go in not being mean. Next time I feel my blood pressure rise due to another driver I will ask myself a few questions.

• Is this person lost?
• Are they a new driver?
• Are they upset about something?
• Do they get anxious when driving?

I've learned to exercise some patience by thinking about these things, but I still get angry at drivers who block the passing lane for mile after mile on the interstate. (Note: Nice people drive in the right lane unless they're passing, pass expeditiously, and move back over to the right once clear of the passed car.)

There's other "triggers" that turn me from a nice guy into a not so nice guy. Long lines. Time Warner Cable (Google Fiber is 90 days away!) Bad service in a resturant. The list goes on.

Learn to recognize the triggers and step back for a moment. Ask yourself some questions about the other party. What burdens are on their heart? Do your best to simply be nice - even if you don't want to be nice and can justify not being nice. Just Be Nice.

Love

Love is first because love should be first. Everything you do should be done in love. Love will be woven thoughout the fabric of your life. Love for family and friends. Love for God. 

Scripture says God is Love. Paul says that love is patient. Love is kind. Love keeps no record of wrongs. 

No record of wrong is forgiveness. 

You may have heard the old adage "forgive and forget." That is foolishness, it's naive to believe you can forget - we rarely forget times when we've been hurt. However, you must forgive - not for the person who hurt you - you must forgive for yourself. If you cannot forgive you will be carrying a lot of baggage around. Forgiving means letting go of the burden and moving forward in your life.

The mother of a murder victim can forgive the killer, but she will never forget what happened. We can forgive the men who flew airplanes into buildings, but we must never forget. 

If someone hurts you, forgive them. But don't keep going back for more hurt. You can forgive and love an unrepentant person, but love doesn't require pain. To the contrary - love is the absence of pain. "Turn the other cheek" does not require you to continue in an abusive relationship - that's not love.

I'll admit I'm not the best at "practicing what I preach" at times. These things are what God calls us to pursue. Being fallable humans we will all fall short. Your goal should be to strive to His standard. 

Forgive those who hurt you. Leave the door open for those willing to change. Stand guard against those who would hurt you again. Close the doors that need to be closed, always with an attitude of love and forgiveness.