Two Day Magazine

Saturday morning at 5:30: My alarm wakes me up from a deep sleep.

Despite the dark, cold, rainy morning, I got up and got dressed.  I was on a mission.  I was going to learn how to ride a motorcycle.  The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation offers free classes to licensed drivers so they can learn how to safely operate a motorcycle.  This is done in a car-free environment so new riders can gain confidence before they go ride on public streets with car traffic.

For as long as I can remember, my dad has always told me, “Don’t ever get on a motorcycle.”  

He has ridden bikes both on and off road. While he loved it, the danger of riding a motorcycle was always in the back of his mind.  Ultimately, the potential danger was a main reason he stopped riding.  Signing up for this class, then, went against everything I’ve ever been taught about motorcycles.

My fiancé, on the other hand, is a lifelong motorcycle and dirt bike rider who knows the danger, but he loves to ride, anyway.  He doesn’t ride on the street anymore these days, but we decided that on our honeymoon we wanted to rent Vespas to see the sights in Rome.  

Cue the mental images of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday.

Yes, I thought.  I need a picture of myself on a Vespa in Rome.  

I decided, now that I had a svelte new body, that I was confident enough to be seen on a Vespa.  Now, I just needed the skills. Signing up for PennDOT’s class was the next logical thing to do.  I signed up for a class months ago and as the date approached, my fears increased.

Sitting through the six hours of classroom instruction only made matters worse.  I come from a long line of worriers.  Not only do I look a lot like my mom, I worry like her too.  Most of my thoughts are worried thoughts.  You can deduce what six hours of sitting in a class room thinking about being on a motorcycle did for my mind.

Saturday we left the classroom and headed out to the car-free “range” to put the skills we were lectured on to practical use.  Armed with Jason’s helmet and rain gear, I got on the bike and remembered what Jason told me: “Don’t over think it.  Just do it.  When in doubt, throttle out!”

Helmet on.  Gloves on.  Kickstand up.  Clutch in.  First gear.  Ease off clutch.  Throttle open.  

Down the range I went over and over again.  I made it all the way into third gear a few times and for a few moments, I stopped thinking about being afraid.  I just rode.  

After the five hour riding class, I got off the bike and felt so relieved that I damn near cried.  I will admit that a few times I caught myself having fun during the class but I'm not going to be going out and buying a motorcycle any time soon.  This class was about learning a new skill and doing something that scared me witless.  One last small reason I took this class was to show Jason that I was willing to trust him when he told me everything would be fine. He was the one who encouraged me and I’m so glad he did.

Love makes you do crazy things.

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