OT (>) Kina Sorta

Nothing extraordinary, like some of the outstanding ride reports that a few
of my brother Texas bikers ran this past weekend.. but Saturday was a real
interesting day for me and the mexican..

For her.. she spent the day kind of relaxing from her hard week at work..she
did the housecleaning (grumbling all the time about my own efforts to do the
job) sheesh..That woman doesn't appreciate all the sacrifices that I make
on her behalf.. I jumped on the ol' Green Vulcan and did some short errands
around the neighborhood.. Sure was a quiet and peaceful day.. Enjoyed it
tremendously, for a change..

We've been invited to a birthday party for the twin daughters of some dear
friends of ours.. Beautiful folks with three of the loveliest little girls
you'd want to be around.. The invitation was several days old and both of us
had forgotten it, if truth is known.. The good part is.. we remembered and
in time..

The mexican and I got ready and since the day was such a wonderful day to
ride, we mounted the Green One and headed for the other side of Irving..
Whoooieeee.. I was right.. couldn't have been better.. We just took our time
and it was only five or so miles, so we gawked and rode.. gawked and rode
some more..

Arriving at our destination, that yard was full of kids and a few grownups..
Little ones from about 18 months old to early teen agers.. There may have
been 50 of those kids in that yard..Who knows ? Anybody ever try to get a
count on that many kids running around a yard ? You know that you'll miss
some of them..

Those little twins were precious..they are eight years old and both are
pretty as little buttons.. They were dressed in matching little dresses,
just alike of course, since they are identical twins.. Those little black
eyes were sparling like diamonds and their jet black hair were both in long
pony tails, so it wouldn't interfere with their playtime with their little
friends.. The interesting and noticeable thing was ..all those children were
happily playing with each other .. running.. skipping .. tagging and all the
things that happy children enjoy.. There were no elaborate games or
electronic toys for them to play with..

It was so easy to detect the affection for each other and the happiness of
being together .. As they played.. I thought about a number of things .. We
spoil our children and we believe and cause them to believe that they nor we
can be happy and enjoy, without all the materialistic toys that money can
buy.. We take such pride in showing off the expensive and elaborate gadgets
that we buy for our children.. We should all take pride in how we provide
for our children. but then.. we should be ashamed of how some of us will
neglect to pass on to them, the most important virtue that will sustain
them.. Money cannot buy the love and affection of ones peers..Elaborate toys
and "things" will not make you happy.. The innocent and sheer joy of those
children was a beautiful thing to see..

Finally the pinata was swung between two great oak trees on each side of the
yard and it came time for all those children to take their turns swiping at
it.. And they did.. the bigger ones helped the smaller ones in instructing
them to swing the stick at the grotesque pinata, they knew was full of all
sorts of goodies for them to enjoy... Those little ones struggled mightily
and swung that big stick as hard as their little arms would.. Some of those
bigger ones, boys and girls, alike.. were deadly with that thing.. Whack ..
Whack.. Each one got his turn.. That patient and smiling father of those
twins was a master at manipulating that pinata to accommodate the size of
the one swinging that stick.. He made sure that all of them got their turn
at bat.. Finally .. someone struck the blow that opened that thing up..
Candy flew all over the yard.. Each child had his own little bag and they
scrambled delightedly to make sure every morsel was found.. I watched while
some of the bigger ones, and especially the twins, made sure that everyone
got an equal share.. Not a tear or word of complaint was heard while some of
them gave up a few pieces to the ones who'd missed a few..

Come on guys.. that's our future there.. We can do so much better.. Down the
street from us.. about half a block or so, another birthday party was going
on for some other kids.. Few were in the yard.. The ones out there kept
looking up toward where we were.. Finally a couple or three of those little
boys came down the sidewalk and just stood there watching.. I made my way
around that crowd of kids in "our" yard and asked those little guys..
"What's up guys".. One of them said, we're having a birthday party at our
house.. "Whose?" I asked .. And the little guy answered that it was his
brothers birthday.. "oh.. where is everybody ?" I asked.. He told me they
were all inside playing video games and opening presents.. I could tell that
these boys weren't really enjoying the party for their brother so much and
said.. "We're having a little party, here.. and getting ready for cake and
to open presents.. wanna join in ?" Their little eyes lit up and they ran
into the yard with those other's.. Quite a day and quite a contrast in
families..

I don't have all the answers and don't even know all the questions, but we
are definitely doing something wrong.. And it affects all of us .. sooner or
later..

We stayed there for about three hours and one the ride home, I was real
quiet.. The bride eventually leaned up and asked if something was wrong..
Yep.. I pulled that Vulcan into a little coffee shop and we had a cup..
While we talked, I shared some of this with her.. She got real quiet and
finally .. told me.. "I see it every day in my position as a teacher".. We
are passing on a sadness.. a bitterness and false sense of values to our
little ones, that will cost them dearly .. for the rest of their lives..
Dammit all to hell.. WE CAN DO BETTER..

Your Friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 20:32:21 GMT, "Bill Walker"

Yeah, after realizing you just spent another spreading "sadness,
bitterness and a false sense of values" on usenet, I can see how you
got real quiet.

--
Instead of swerving, I should have been reloading
(remove _NO_SPAM_ to reply)

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~~~~~~~~~~~``bill walker wrote---
(last paragraph)
We stayed there for about three hours and on the ride home, I was real
quiet.. The bride eventually leaned up and asked if something was
wrong.. Yep.. I pulled that Vulcan into a little coffee shop and we had
a cup.. While we talked, I shared some of this with her.. She got real
quiet and finally .. told me.. "I see it every day in my position as a
teacher".. We are passing on a sadness.. a bitterness and false sense of
values to our little ones, that will cost them dearly .. for the rest of
their lives.. Dammit all to hell.. WE CAN DO BETTER..
Your Friend in Irving
Bill Walker

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~bjay says~~~~~
oh yeah, I understand your points.
I enjoyed your ''almost ride report'' kina sorta.
But, the best part to me, is you and your wife riding, together. You
know I admire that.
My wife and I rode last night to eat CatFish.
She's the one, who said, ''Let's ride the Bike, it's a lovely coolish
April evening''
What-a-honey we have, eh?

But ain't it pitiful, that ole what's his name, Road Gliding Don, posted
here in a negative mode, and not being able to shift gears, and actually
comment on the Post/Topic. Some, just can't change their
dispositions, from one topic to another.
what a shame.
Aren't most of us Grown beings,in here.????

cyber friendly bjay-----

 

I vividly remember a conversation I had with my younger son back when
he was a senior in high school. He wasn't a real scholar like his
older brother, and high school was a struggle for him. He wanted to be
out, working, and "doing stuff," not sitting day after day in what was,
to him, a stiflingly boring classroom.

Well, we were riding along in his car, a 12-year-old Ford that he and I
had labored mightily on, pulling out the ruined engine that it had in
it when he had bought it with money from his part time hjob after
school during his sophomore year, and putting in a rebuilt motor. He
always kept that car perfectly clean in and out, waxed and shined and
vacuumed and Armor-Alled, and as close as it could be for a car with
140,000 miles on it, it looked like new.

He was talking about a friend of his, a friend whose father had
recently bought him a "graduation gift" (months before graduation) of a
brand new Camaro Z28 SS. Somewhere around a $30,000 car. He told me
how cool the car was, how fast it was, how the small block Chevy motor
in it was "almost exactly the same" as a Corvette motor, and how he
knew that - in the right hands - that Camaro could just about smoke any
car any kid in his high school could put up against it.

I just sort of listened, nodding my head, saying "Wow" at the
appropriate points when he paused, wondered silently to myself about a
parent who would buy a car like that for a 17 or 18-year-old high
school kid.

"He doesn't ever wash it, though," my son offered. "Huh!" I answered,
not willing to pass a value judgement, wondering where this was all
headed. "No, and he doesn't even pay for his own gas," he added, "he
doesn't even work; his parents just give him gas money and spending
money."

I wondered if my son was jealous. He had to pay for his own gas,
insurance, registration, inspections, repairs, county car tax, and had
saved his money for three and half years to pay for the car, for which
I had kicked in half of the purchase price. Just keeping that car
going while he was in high school (and he wasn't even allowed to drive
it to school) cost him about half of his take-home pay from a job where
he worked three weeknights and either Saturday or Sunday at just barely
above minimum wage.

I looked at my son and saw myself thirty years earlier, driving a
rusted out old four door Buick, three speed column mount shifter (in
which I had to roll under the car and manually return the linkage to
neutral after every time I put the car in reverse) and not knowing if I
would have enough gas money to make it to work and back for the rest of
the week.

What was I doing? I had a good job, even a great job. I could easily
afford to give my boy a gas allowance, a dating allowance, and I could
sure pay for his insurance, which was high, him being a teenager and a
male and all.

Yeah, I had been cheap, and miserly, and clearly my son was not
complaining, but equally clearly, his hard work and care for his own
car was not being given the appreciation it deserved. I could've
kicked myself.

"You know, Dad, I feel sorry for him." my son blurted out.

"What?!" was all I could manage in reply. "Why?"

"Well, think about it, Dad. He's my age, 18 years old, and here he has
this great car, a $30,000 car, the nicest car in our high school, and
it makes him a big man on campus. But Dad, you know what? Not only
does his car look like crap because he never cleans it, but his next
car is probably not going to be as nice as this one was when he got it.
In fact, he'll probably be over thirty years old before he can afford
to buy a car as nice as the one he has now. That's got to suck. I
mean, when I start my car, I know it starts and runs because of the
work you and I put into it. We replaced the motor, the exhaust system,
the shocks, we re-did the brakes, and a whole bunch of other stuff.
This car has a lot of ME in it, and that's why I love it and keep it
nice. And as nice as it is now, I know that my next car will be nicer,
and cooler, and faster, and in better condition, and so will the next
one and the next one and the next one. So I can love my car now, and
still look forward to even better cars to come. He can't do either of
those things! So, that's why I feel sorry for him."

Yep, we need to do stuff with our kids. We need to work with them,
play with them, and give them real values that will stick with them and
last them a lifetime. If we don't do that, then we've failed at the
most basic chore and the most sacred duty of being a parent - providing
our children with the means to be happy, contented, productive,
functioning, valuable and independent participants in society.

CCG

 

Not to make a contribution to the continuation of any discontent.. but.. you
are right.. Bjay.. I posted my little ride report and fail to see how anyone
could find it objectionable and critcize it.. I certainly wasn't posted for
the purpose of anything sharing thoughts that my wife and I shared
together..

Scary times we live in Bjay.. Lot's of scary people around us, don't you
think ? Regards to miz. Honey

Your Friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

This is undoubtedly one of the most touching and relative responses to any
of the many similar posts that I've made, over the years.. Many thanks.. and
I wouldn't worry about those sons of yours.. Evidently .. you've established
real values and respect in those youngsters.. Congratulations.. and I
guarantee you that there are many who've shared those sentiments with you..

Bill Walker
Irving, Tx.