2 days, 14 hours, 16 minutes and 18 seconds

After months of dreaming and planning the start of the trip is almost here and the big plans are all set now it is checklist time…

Oil Change… Check

Packing list… Check

Watch “Wild Hogs” again… Check

Agree with the guys “No Spooning”…Double Check

You get the idea. When I get back I hope to have lots of pictures and stories for the BLOG and maybe with Robbie’s help a submission or two to some motorcycle magazines.

In the myriad of details it is easy to lose track of “Why are we doing this in the first place?” Well today I got the answer in two places. First is Robbie’s BLOG http://www.robbieiobst.blogspot.com/ where she talked about the change she has seen in me as I have tried to abandon being “nice” and become “good” instead. Check it out to see who the real writer of the family is (Hint it’s not me)

The second came at a 12 step program I attend were the topic was the difference between negative (fear based) sobriety and positive (Love bases) sobriety. Now sobriety is a good thing regardless of the motives and addicts are by definition love cripples so all addicts must have a period of fear based sobriety before love based sobriety is possible. Basically fear based sobriety is motivated by the fear of the consequences (Getting Caught) and all that entails. It is a defensive game where the addict tries to keep the addiction from winning much like a basketball player tries to keep other players from scoring. Love based sobriety is surrender… I surrender my right to manage my life and trust God. I turn my back on the addiction and let that become God’s problem as well. The measure of “sober” thinking and behavior is not in a set of Do’s and Don’ts but a freedom where the only decision is based on taking the action of Love towards God, my family, and the 12 step fellowship.

How does this relate to a motorcycle trip?

When it was my priority to manage my life with the single goal of avoiding consequences I would never take such a trip much less ride a motorcycle. I had stopped riding for 26 years, first because of $$$ but later out of fear of reinjuring my back after an auto accident in 1991

As I have been progressively set free from fear and the need to “manage” my life I have been willing to take more risks and to trust a Loving Father in the process. So after years of growth I am willing to take a vacation with other men without the fear that they will discover the truth about me and reject me because I now know that they are not the report card on my life, only God is my judge. We ride because riding brings my joy and causes my heart to come to life. While this may seem selfish to some it is a gift from my Father so feel free to take it up with Him, I don’t feel the need to justify my choices.

Very soon we will embark on this adventure but I am clear on the fact that motorcycles and trips are not required for adventure. The real adventure is living each day by faith and not by sight. Every day I need to trust God to be the man, husband, father, friend that He would have me be. The real adventure is to trust God and not lean to my own understanding. The real adventure is to walk in liberty supported by His unconditional love rather than run to self-righteousness where I can have all the control and the comfort of feeling better about myself as compared to others who don’t measure up to me.

The adventure of the trip is a gift from the one who has called me to a much larger Adventure of walking with Him every day.

I believe every man needs adventure in his life and a few my get to ride motorcycles too.