We riders have a need... to feel the wind on our faces, take in the smells, to see the world from an unfettered view that can only be supplied by our motorcycles.
The rush of riding through a tight set of twisties, the feeling of peace, just cruising down a stretch of highway, riding alone or with friends....
Our souls are called by the road, our spirits soar in the sunshine and our determination is challenged by the rain, hail, wind and sometimes snow...and we welcome that challenge as much as we welcome the serenity.
For those who truly have that bike hole in their heart nothing satisfies quite so much as that feeling, that soul satisfying experience that makes our smiles light up the world around us.
My Christmas wish for everyone of you who reads this blog, who ride a motorcycle for no other reason than your motorcycle is an extension of who you are....
May your 2011 riding season be filled with the challenge of twisties, the camaraderie of fellow riders, the peace of riding by yourself, the joy of the sunshine on your face.
May you explore this world and all it has to offer with a passion and zest and may you always be safe from road debris and careless drivers. May you always have the sharp skills you need to face the challenges provided by Mother Nature and the road ahead.
Ride strong, free and proud.
With much love and respect to all who share this love, this burning need to ride....
Merry Christmas...
Have a day filled with thoughts of love and peace, motorcycles and freedom - I know mine will be...Please if you are attending Christmas Parties, plan your way home in advance!
If you are driving home for Christmas please take care and cherish those you love the way you cherish your motorcycle.
Yesterday another Canadian soldier was brought home. Cpl. Steve Martin - he is one of 154 who have been taken from us in the Afghanistan conflict.
Just 2 days shy of his 25th birthday he was killed in the line of duty.
My heart goes out to his parents and all who love him.
As we here in this country get ready to celebrate Christmas I ask you to reflect on something else... as hard as this may be to wrap your head around, I want you to consider the families of the "other side".
War is messy business. It is hard to see the "other side" as human, as having families, wives, kids, parents when they are "responsible" for the death of our own - but guess what, they do.
During the second world war, a young soon to be Queen named Elizabeth, fought in the trenches with her troops running an ambulance with her princess sister Margaret and together they witnessed the horrors first hand. Princess Elizabeth began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
Her quote on that horrible time in history is as appropriate today as it was back then...
In remembering the appalling suffering of war on both sides, we recognize how precious is the peace we have built in Europe since 1945. Queen Elizabeth II
Even she understood that the soldiers of the other side - much as we do not agree with their politics or way of life, have families, people who love them.
I can't begin to understand the pain the Cpl Martin's parents feel, loosing a son, not being able to celebrate his 25th birthday or Christmas with him. That pain has to be unbearable.
It is, I suspect no less unbearable for mothers in Afghanistan.
I think - I hope - that is one thing everyone can understand - a mother's love and a mothers pain.
Peace - as long as there are human beings with differing agendas and beliefs, I am not sure we will ever achieve global peace and yet we must try and strive for it.
This Christmas as you eat dinner with your family, unwrap presents and share the common bond of family, friendship and love - I ask you all to remember those who are no longer with us. Say a prayer for every soldier who is doing their country's bidding no matter the side they are on, for their families cry tears that are just as real and born of the exact same pain that we here feel for our soldiers who are gone.
I support my troops. My government is a totally separate issue.
I really don't know what the answer is to finding peace but I support the children who through no fault of their own other than they were born to a parent who felt the calling to protect and defend their country and beliefs - no matter their religious or political view - I feel for, pray for and support those children who now find themselves without a parent.
My single biggest fear is that these children are the ones who will grow up angry, wanting to lash out and perpetuate the war against those who took their parent away spurred on by those who have hatred in their hearts - those with political agendas that have nothing to with peace and everything to do with oppression.
This - in my heart of hearts - is why I believe so many of the Middle Eastern conflicts never get resolved and have in fact lasted thousands of years. Revenge. The children grow up wanting revenge, wanting to lash out for the torment and pain they have felt.
As sad as I am for Cpl Martin's parents and family I am equally saddened by what the children experience here and over there.
The only important question here is HOW do we stop this vicious and unrelenting cycle of revenge and vengeance? How do we love and support these children of war and help them to learn a different way of life when in reality they have never know peace? It is a foreign concept for them - they have never known it.
I guess I ask these questions because I am a mom. Perhaps if more of us around the world asked ourselves these questions we'd find the answer...
The law of attraction says that if we can dream it it exists...today I dream of peace.
If we as a collective dreamed of peace, empathy and love we would all find he answers we seek.
Like everyday, I welcome your feedback and opinions as it is through sharing & talking that we become stronger and more empathetic.
In the News today:
Writer William Perry - a former priest and police officer wants to bust some myths
Paul Jr wins in court against Paul Sr
There are many new motorcycle reviews in our Lifestyles - Motorcycle News & Reviews section as well as some new technology for your motorcycles in the Health & Technology for your bike section.
Have a day filled with thoughts of love and peace - I know mine will be...
Please if you are attending Christmas Parties, plan your way home in advance!
Last year I did my first Conga across Canada to raise awareness about the need to have motorists share the road with us.
I am doing the same again this year.
The TENTATIVE route will see me leave Grande Prairie, head for Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory and kick the Conga off from up there.
I will ride from there to Merritt BC for the Great Canadian Bike Rally, then in to Salmon Arm BC for the Sturgis North & Summer Stomp Events and from there I will head to Cape Breton NS and the Cape Breton Bike Fest - The Thunder In the Highlands.
I would love to have riders join me be it for an hour, a day, a week or the whole 43-45 days I intend to be on the road! Tentatively leaving from Grande Prairie July 4th and getting back home in the middle of August...
I am in the planning stages and making application to sponsors for support.
One of the reasons I want to meet so many riders is we are going to be creating Rider Awareness Videos.
The videos will feature riders from across the country with their families asking motorists to share the road. Like last year the message is:
My name is Renee "Belt Drive Betty" Charbonneau, I am a wife, I am a mother, I am an auntie, a sister, a friend and a volunteer for Toys for Tots and the Motorcycle Ride for Dad, I am the editor of a community newspaper and my family and friends would appreciate you sharing the road with me.
This time that message is going on video and once home in GP, we will be editing the video and creating motorcycle awareness campaigns for across the country that will air hopefully on every TV station across the country in 2012!
I am enthused and excited and a wee bit nervous cause this time - I am riding solo...hubby can not come with me this year as he does not get his holidays until the end of August (that's his anniversary date at work)
So - if anyone is game to come along or be videoed for a commercial...let me know!
Cabot Trail Here I COME!!!!!
In the news today:
In Oxnard California Aztec Racings Tony Gutierrez 1932-2010 passed away.
When I lived in Oxnard CA in my 20's - Tony was a big part of my life - his shop was in the same block of shops as our race car shop - RIP Tony - you will be missed.
Eric Buell is thinking about getting back in to production street bikes again
More jurisdictions are calling for helmet and other laws targeted at motorcyclists:
Zamboanga
Jerusalem
And in Dubai they are targeting stunters and those who don't follow the rules of the road when on motorcycles - they call it a traffic campaign.
BMW announced Canadian pricing on their machines
I hope you will join the discussions on Facebook, in our forums over on www.beltdrivebetty.com or right here in my blog!
Have a wonderful day - I know mine will be...
Please if you are attending Christmas Parties, plan your way home in advance!
Sometimes I get inspired by the strangest things...
yesterday I found inspiration in anger of all things!
Charities - be they motorcycle events or not are the back bone of our social safety nets.
Many charities are being put in a position where they are being forced to pay for police overtime to host parades and awareness events as city and town budgets are stretched to the max.
After the article out of Olympia and having had my own experiences with police services as an event coordinator and as a member of the local toys for tots group - I was very, deeply angry. (My daughter and I - 22 years ago, were benefactors of a toy run and it's generosity - without them her 4th Christmas would have been - bleak to say the least)
I have been learning to focus on the outcomes I want.
So after a good cry, I asked myself the ONLY important question: HOW do we change this?
After all kinds of phone calls, research on the computer and letter writing I hit on something that if we can get community support for, I believe we can make work!
The idea is to train a bunch of riders in every community to become Professional Traffic Control people using their motorcycles for blocking traffic just like most of us do right now but we'd be certified by the province's transportation and safety departments. Just like crossing guards we would have CPR & First Aide training, we'd be taught the Highway Traffic Act as it pertains to controlling traffic and we'd then - after a practical training session and a small written exam be certified.
I have been talking to various Safety Council's across the country and there is great interest from them so we shall see what we can do to put together a pilot project and if successful, we'd be able to reduce the costs of keeping people safe. This would free up the police services, reduce costs to everyone and there would be no more hassles. I have also put out inquiries about the cost for insurance and how we could deal with that.
You can help by going to your local charities, presenting them with the idea and getting letters of support from them. The more support we can garner the more likely we are to be successful in getting this project of the ground. We also want letters of support from the riding clubs and the more riding clubs that we can get to support this initiative the better!
The letters of support can be sent to the CMTA (Canadian Motorcycle Tourism Association)
They can be sent to my office here in Grande Prairie and I will make sure they get to the right people!
CMTA
10908-102 St
Grande Prairie AB T8V 2X3
The news is kind of flat again today - it is that time of year!
One story of note is about a group called CALM - Citizens Against Loud Motorcycles
Read the article folks - this noise stuff has become a cancer.
The only question we need to ask ourselves is HOW do we change the tide of anti motorcyclist sentiment. When we ask HOW can we do something the answers will come and we will be successful - the challenge is we need every motorcyclist possible asking themselves that question so that we can find the creative solutions.
One group in the states has signs made that are posted a few blocks before you enter hospital and nursing home areas . They also have them in their business and eating districts...
The signs ask motorcyclists to use respect with their throttle hand as people are sick, infirm or doing business. If we used that principal here - if we simply reminded people that we need to live with others and share this world perhaps we could impact some of the wrong doers and or show offs. Like I said folks we need creative ideas! Put your thinking caps on and email me your ideas for a more peaceful and less contentious way of policing our own and stemming this flow of anger towards our community!
As always I welcome your feedback and differing opinions and ideas becasue it is through the sharing of ideas and discussion that we grow, evolve and become stronger as a community.
Join me on Face Book, in our forums on www.beltdrivebetty.com and/or right here in my blog - talk to me people!
Have a wonderful, creative thinking kind of day - I know mine will be...
Please if you are attending Christmas Parties, plan your way home in advance!
The news feeds are really quiet this morning. There is a Story on the celebutante Paris Hilton and her new 125 team...I can't believe that - I really can't - Paris Hilton and motorcycles...oh well.
The other story of note is about the passing of the legendary Tony Kirby.
He was the editor of Dirt Bike and the founder of Side Track and a hell of a story writer. The Australian and world wide dirt community is going to miss this mas talented way with a pen.
On the weekend there was a story that got my ire up.
In Olympia Washington it appears that they do not understand dollars and cents nor do they have any more common sense than some of the other jurisdictions out there...
The headline? Toy Run hits bumpy road.
The city wants to change the parade route AND charge the committee for police overtime.
So - I have a question for the BEAN Counters in every city hall around the world and for the chiefs of police or staff sergeants around the world....
Let's say it costs $3-4 thousand dollars in over time and in the bigger cities $10K to police a toy run parade - let's look at the toys and money flowing in to charitable organizations to help the KIDS of our communities as opposed to the costs.
Let's take a case study of this situation - right here in a small centre like here in Grande Prairie Alberta - it would probably take 2 police motorcycles at $100 per hour for the officer and machine and about another 10 officers at about $75 per hour to stop traffic for the parade to go through and if the city put up barricades another 10 hours of set up and tear down for city staff on over time at lets say another $100 per hour.
You'd be looking at roughly $2,500 for the parade to come out of city coffers. (Why? because the police bill the city for their time) The toy run here generates about $20K and a ton of toys. If the Salvation Army here didn't get that shot in the arm there would be a lot of kids doing with out. Take $2,500 - $3,000 out of the budget and there is the entire 4-6 year old category that would have to do without toys.
Imagine your own 4 year old and their abject disappointment that they had no toy - no gift at Christmas...what would that look like? How would YOU FEEL as a parent?
Our toy run always had it's own blockers - the police will NOT after 31 years allow us to block traffic ourselves - it's unsafe don't you know. Yet in other jurisdictions like Vancouver - professional crossing guards are used to block traffic - it is after all a rolling parade and only blocks intersections for what- even on a big run of 7-15K riders a half hour...
Why can't our people take the professional crossing guard course and be licensed to provide this service to the city for other parades besides the toy run...would that not help with costs - everywhere? Would that not make sense? I'll tell you why. Because the police sergeants want the over time being billed - it's about budgets and if they can show a lot of over time then they have more leverage when asking for budgets to be upped.
(That appears to be the case here in GP unlike Vancouver where some creative thinking has taken place.)
In Olympia Washington they raise over $200K dollars plus toys - who is going to fill that void? Is the city going to? NO. What about the average citizen - will they fill that void with out an organized effort? Unlikely...
You smart people in city halls and police detachments everywhere - you make my heart heavy that you can not see beyond the end of your noses...take the blinders off, get your heads out of your a$$es and look at what you are doing to the children of our communities - you who live in big warm houses and probably have never known a night of hunger need to learn some empathy and use some creative thinking - OUR CHILDREN deserve so much better than your narrow minded political agendas.
They deserve a toy at Christmas and a meal that says - celebration - we care - you are important...
What you bean counters, police officers and bureaucrats are sending for a message is: you kids - you who have so little - you aren't worth spending a few hours of our day away from our families. You aren't worth me giving up $100 or $200 in pay - you aren't worth a few man hours - you don't count.
And when you go home and you hug your children and share a great meal with them after opening a bazillion presents on Christmas day... I doubt any of you even think of those who have nothing.
I have been there. I know first hand what a box of food and a bag of toys means to a family that has nothing but each other.
EMPATHY - the lack of it is what is wrong with this society and most importantly with our police services (and I am referring to those who make the decisions).
If you people can't get out and park that shiny car that I and every tax payer provides you - at an intersection for an hour...if you can't see your way clear to be generous of spirit - why do you feel the need to kill the spirit of generosity in others?
Just remember - the kid that you don't help today - the one who lives in poverty, that lives in fear, with hunger...that child has two potential paths to follow - the one we show them as a way out through kindness, love and empathy or the hard route that takes them straight to jail...these kids are our future and to not reach out a caring hand to give them hope and joy - well it's more than morally wrong.
And remember - these kids - the ones YOU are hurting - they are our future teachers, doctors and lawyers or the cons and drug dealers you are going to deal with in the system - and that weight needs to be put on YOUR shoulders. You have the opportunity to change a life and a life path...question is - which path are going to show them?
I would love to hear your opinion on this topic....join the conversation in our forum, here in my blog or on Face Book...
Have a wonderful, love filled day - I know mine will be...
Please if you are attending Christmas Parties, plan your way home in advance!
