Biker Rally 2003

By Ed Moyer

Why would one want to go to a biker rally, when one isn't going to ride a motorcycle all weekend long? Gee I am glad that you asked that question.

The tale actually begins last year. My beloved and I inherited a motorcycle from her father because he was no longer able to ride it without falling off. Then circumstances changed dramatically the week prior to the largest rally in the state of Texas. We found ourselves without a motorcycle and with eighty dollars worth of tickets, as well as family and friends expecting to see us during the event. The decision was made to go ahead with our plans... only substituting the family mini-van for the loud, manly-sounding and -looking motorcycle.

We set out fairly early on Thursday evening. The plan was to drive straight through to Austin, Texas and stay with my sister that night, get up early, head to the rally, finish the registration and enjoy being as much of a biker as one can be without an actual motorcycle.

Some will recall that at the South Padre Isle biker rally last year, we ran into a very charming couple from the Austin area. This couple is near and dear to our hearts, if for nothing else that I think they remind us of where we hope to be once we have aged as gracefully as they have. The entire weekend was a wash out for the most part because we were unable to go on any of the rides, poker runs, or parades, all of which require one to actually be on a motorcycle to participate. The highlights of the weekend were seeing my oldest sister, whom I last saw half of a lifetime ago (I am thirty-two. The last time I saw her I was sixteen.) and getting to know her boyfriend of several years and his family. The best time we had, though, was the simple joy of drinking purple margaritas at a local restaurant (they have Everclear AND tequila in them). We sat on the patio, sipped our beverages, and my sister, her boyfriend, the love of my life, and our two dear friends laughed for hours.

Why does one go to a biker rally, and not take a motorcycle? Simple. To remind ourselves that it is not things that make one's life complete, but rather true friends and family. These are the folks that when you are around them, make you feel like anything and everything in life is obtainable. We go to remind ourselves that you can find in this day and age folks who are able to overlook the smaller things in life, and see each other for the truly remarkable person we each are. That is why I went to the largest biker rally in the state of Texas and didn't get sunburned or throw my leg over a bike. There are just simply some things more important than the event itself. Things like seeing the true biker/human spirit still alive and well. And that gives you hope for a better tomorrow.