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I bid farewell to family and friends this morning in Nashville then headed out of Music City in mid-50s
temperatures and in a drenching, blowing rain.
Taking photos in such conditions isn't exactly optimal, so I only got one – after refueling and before hitting I-40 West:
About 20 miles into a scheduled short 350 mile ride today, the remote part of my radar detector lost
power. 
It might seem obvious to blame the drenching rain, but I've had the unit in many, many miles of rain, including the tail
end of Katrina. I'm guessing the unit has over 200k miles of service in every imaginable condition—not bad,
huh? The main part of the unit is mounted in my tank bag along with other electronic devices, while the smaller
remote unit sits above my GPS. Unlike many riders, I don't pipe audio for the radar into my helmet, preferring
instead to rely on line of sight notification. Also unlike many riders, I have zero speeding tickets, so I can
say this setup has worked quite well for me
 . However,
without the remote display I essentially am detector-less. I wasn't exactly riding in conditions warranting the
use of a radar detector, but my concern was not having the unit available for the long, flat sections of I-40 where
LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers) are known to, well, enforce the law. Before my inbox gets slammed with comments,
I'd like to reiterate that I have never received a “Performance Award” (aka speeding ticket). One could interpret
that fact as me being a very safe rider or maybe just incredibly lucky, but I'll add that my V1 (radar) has a whole lot
to do with the goose egg statistic. Stats aside, it's difficult to explain that I feel more alert when running a
radar detector. I tried to think about how to explain this as I swam down I-40 on the FJR, but I wasn't able to
come up with any clear explanation.
Yesterday afternoon, I became aware that someone who has been following my travels here on SeizeTheJourney and is
“a big fan” of mine was hospitalized in Memphis. I learned the reason for the hospitalization was to receive
an organ transplant, and also that “Barbara” was celebrating a birthday today. My suggestion to make a surprise
visit was supported by medical staff and family, so after 200 miles of travel in soaking rain I arrived Memphis
University Hospital, um, completely soaked. Thankfully, I was able to find a parking garage to stow my bike
while I went inside:
Would it be a surprise to say I was the only bike in the garage? On I-40? As I dismounted the bike in the garage,
“looking like a drowned rat” as the Matriarch would say, I tried to come up with options that included the words “dry”
before I tromped inside this hospital to meet someone I've never met. I had plans to continue on to Little Rock,
AR, and the weather had plans to continue pouring rain according to the weather radar map on my phone, so I decided to
keep my gear on and tried to dry off with my camping towel as best I could before I went inside. Based on the
expressions and comments, this sight proved to be of great intrigue to several of the people who walked past me in
the garage. I heard “Did you know it was going to rain when you left today?” and “I bet you don't see this kind
of weather if you're really from Arizona”.
My boots squeaked and left a wet footprint trail as I went inside the sterile building in search of the
“Transplant Unit” and someone named Barbara. On the elevator ride up to the penthouse floor, a man looked at me
and with no expression uttered “It must still be raining outside, huh?”
I replied I was merely coming back from the hospital swimming pool and as far as I knew it was sunny outside. I
made it up to Head Nurses Station Command Central Headquarters or something like that, where I think the best way to
describe their response to seeing me is simply: speechless.
I had the exact room number so I just kept moving before they could come up with something to say. I had
trouble finding the room and had to loop back past part of the station again, so I took a quick photo before
they looked up:
I tried to get the wet bootprints where I had walked down the hall, but it didn't come out too well:
If you need to be reminded to “SEIZE THE JOURNEY”, go walk through a hospital. If want to see this in action meet
me or meet an organ transplant recipient! I thought I was told Barbara had received a kidney transplant, but once
I met her I learned she was a DOUBLE transplant recipient: kidneys and pancreas. I sat and listened to a woman
describe how her life was completely transformed in a single day, or as she calls it “a re-birth”. I heard the
enthusiasm of someone who is no longer dependent on dialysis and insulin (diabetic). She saved the very first can
of “real” soda that had post-op and since she was a young child. Darn right we took a photo!:
It's not often one gets the chance to hear and see someone utterly ecstatic about drinking chocolate milk and sweet
tea, and eating “real” ice cream. My conversation with Barbara surrounded a shared enthusiasm for life, and
celebrating simple aspects that 99.9% of people overlook or take for granted. We didn't talk about TV or politics
or material possessions or what someone else thinks or anything of the sorts that would be considered absolutely
meaningless if put into the context of “there is only so much time to live”. It's not often that I have the
opportunity to spend time with someone else who really lives with that understanding and perspective. Barbara
asked if she could have a photo with me (wet gear and all), so here it is:
As well as one of my bike in front of the hospital (You receive an organ transplant, I'll come visit you and take
whatever photos you'd like too!):
After meeting a new friend and having a memorable visit, I wished Barbara well and said good-bye. As I walked
back out to the bike in the rain, I paused and thought about how great it was to be alive, able to feel the cold
water landing on my face, and about how many people in the building I'd just left would trade places with me in a heartbeat.
Webmaster Note ...
You didn't really think I was going to let this one pass, did you AGirl?
I had a vested interest in this visit since I happen to know Barbara quite well. She has been a big fan of AGirl
for the past year and a half, and I'm really glad that they finally got to meet each other. Barbara has had it
pretty rough for the past few years, well actually more than a few years. I guarantee that the
non-sugar-free Sprite pictured above tasted pretty damn good since it's the first one she's had in about 40 years
or so.
I know these things because Barbara is my sister. She has been a big fan for a good while, and I really
appreciate AGirl going out of her way to stop by for a visit. I'm certain it meant a lot to Barbara, and I know
for a fact it meant a lot to me!
My ride on I-40 towards Little Rock was no different than my ride to Memphis, except that I felt more energized to go,
to do, to be... to live. I was heading for the home of a family that I also had never met, but has also been
following my travels like Barbara. I occasionally meet people who I have exchanged emails with for an extended
period of time or perhaps are on an internet forum related to my bike (in this case, FJRforum.com). Both applied
with “Reggie” and his family. They have persistently asked if I would stop by their home when I passed through
their hometown (Little Rock, AR) during this past spring (which I was unable to do) and then again this fall when I
went back West. As I navigated Little Rock rush hour traffic and neared their residence in rain, I was glad that
I would be arriving at the home of fellow riders who could relate to my soaked state... and who owned a garage!
For the geographically challenged, here is a map of the journey today....:
... but the real journey today is one that isn't seen on a map, can't be seen in a photo. Much like life itself,
it was what was felt in the heart.
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