Recently we received an article, which is printed in this issue from a girl by the name of Cheryl Lewis. I’m calling her a ‘girl’ instead of woman as this is the recollection I have of her.
When the article came in, Glenn mentioned that we had received a rather interesting email from a new rider. It was a story about her experience while riding in England this past summer. The article was interesting, well written, and best of all it was from a female rider who had just got her licence. I heard everything Glenn had said about the article but my mind kept focusing on her name. I thought it sounded familiar, but went on with my busy, hectic day.
A couple weeks later my curiosity got the best of me. Glenn was out riding a bike in Muskoka somewhere, claiming he was really working – and I got to sit in front of his computer which I might add also has the biggest monitor in our office, (why does he get all the good stuff, I wondered). While I sat there I saw Cheryl’s article and noticed that she had also sent photos. I had to know if this was the girl I thought she might be. I opened up the photos she had sent of her trip to England until I found one of her. As it had been some 30 plus years since our paths had crossed I was still not quite certain it was in fact her or not, but I did know someone who would know.
I emailed the photo to my sister Glenna who lives in Vernon, BC and sure enough she emailed me back and said yes that was Cheryl and why did I have this photo. So I told Glenna the story and we both had to chuckle. Cheryl was actually my sister’s niece through a previous marriage and I knew her quite well myself, that was when she was a young girl and I was a teenager. Sure we’ve changed a bit, I may have gained 1 or 2 pounds (right) and my poker straight, brown hair which hung halfway down my back seems to be whatever colour and style my hairdresser decides these days, but we still remain recognizable in some shape or form to old friends.
Still being a little skeptical about delving into someone’s personal life I sent a quick email to Cheryl asking her if she had any connections to Shakespeare, Ontario. I got a response saying that yes she did have relatives there, but many, many years ago. With a few more email conversations we were quickly getting caught up. Turns out Cheryl found our magazine through some people she works with, which happens to be in the same town Glenn grew up in…now that’s a coincidence.
In December, I also ran into another old friend at the bike show in Toronto. I don’t think I’d seen him since I was about 17. It was funny, as he knew all about our magazine and was trying to convince his friend to subscribe. As he spoke with Charlene I was overhearing what he was saying and looked over at him. He looked very familiar, but so as not to make a total ass of myself, I asked him what his name was. Sure enough it was Dave but he never realized I was the same person that he knew as a teenager until we met face to face in Toronto. We had done a story on his father Ray in our second issue in 2003.
It’s funny crossing paths with people from so long ago. In some ways we have changed a lot and in others, not so much. When I was a teenager I would never have imagined that I would ride on a bike let alone own one, but here I am today on my fourth bike in 10 years. Not that I wear them out or anything, but change is good. I get a little bored and what better way to make your day than to go bike shopping.
Bike shows provide a perfect opportunity to see what’s new and exciting from the different manufacturers and allows you the opportunity to sit on different models of bikes until you find one that is just right, not too tall and not too small. My goal this year is to find bikes that I may want to test ride so that I can leave Glenn at the office and I’m the one heading out on the blacktop.
I really do enjoy most of the bike shows we attend but it is tiring. The western shows especially provide me an opportunity to meet up with family members that I don’t see often enough. The Abbotsford show is only 10 minutes from my brother’s place, allowing me to catch up on what is happening with him and his wife Jenne. He’s a hot-rod type of guy but does enjoy seeing the different bikes and how they have changed since he was a teenage rebel. And, if I can arrange an interview I’ve been trying to line up I should be able to land at my sister’s doorstep in Vernon for a few days this summer…and who knows how many wine tours she’ll want to drag me to.
Cheryl and I plan to catch up at a bike show in January and now that we are both of legal drinking age, we might even have a drink as we discuss our motorcycle adventures over the past years and perhaps even plan a motorcycle get-together this summer.
They do say things happen in threes so I am now awaiting to see who the next person from ‘way back when’ will emerge from the woodwork and what they will be riding.
I guess it is true, you do meet the nicest people on a Honda, but also on a Suzuki, Yamaha, Harley, BMW, Triumph, Victory…
