I know I have not been writing as much as you had all gotten accustomed to, but I have been very busy working on a ton of very special projects. And when I say a ton, I am not exaggerating, not even a little. From launching our new
Rider Friendly Business Association Directory to working on the TV Show Ride Like a Local, the Afghanistan Monument Project,
Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community Contest for the 2016 riding Season and a host of other items, well, writing has had to take a bit of a back seat.
What I have been working on gave me shivers and the urge to write became larger than the looming deadlines I am working under.
I have been blessed to interview some of the riders who were instrumental in keeping people fed and cared for. Some of them I worked with, others that worked behind the scenes, that never got the notoriety or hugs.
I am proud to announce that
Ride Like a Local will be sharing a very special 3 (Maybe 4) Part Series called "The Fort Mac Wildfire & the Riding Community".
Watching the footage of the first interview with my friend and a human being I admire deeply, Jeremy Hall, I can't tell you how overwhelmed with pride I am.
I am proud to be a part of a community, as divided as it can be sometimes, (YES we have our own breed of prejudice, our own brand of disfunction as a family)...
You see, there were people who are normally not colleagues, not friends, hell some of them down right dislike each other and yet, they all put personal feelings aside and dug in to do what they all knew was right.
The breadth and depth of the humanity that the riding community can exhibit during times of extreme need is breath taking. I had always known we were a tight crew and that regardless of our personal bias, situations, mind sets - we were all more alike than different and Fort Mac proved it to me time and time and time again.
I can't wait for you to see from other people's perspective that they saw and experienced the exact same things I did.
Jeremy and I both got some publicity out of Fort Mac, neither of us went there seeking it.
But I do believe that the interviews we both gave on radio and TV helped the non riding world look at our community just a little bit differently.
The sad thing about radio and TV in the mainstream world is they can offer you a two minute or a 10 minute look into what happened and that's all. They pick and choose what they want you to hear and see.
They do their best in that short bit of time to tell the story but I am here to tell you that to tell Jeremy's story alone is gonna take up 2 - 30 minute episodes.
The people he acknowledges for their help and support all deserve to be publicly recognized.
His story is compelling and deserves to be really told.
I wrote somewhere around 9 Blog Posts only time in Fort Mac and didn't come close to thanking everyone, or telling all of the stories that could be or should be...
I hope that my editor Mark and myself can present a body of work that will make the riding community stand proud.
From coast to coast we had the support of riders from across this country who represented pretty much every cross section of the on road motorcycle community.
From the Red Knights to the Hells Angels and every cut in between, this community has a lot to teach the rest of society I believe.
When you see these interviews and hear from these people what they went through, what they witnessed and experienced, it is my hope that you see the same thing I see.
Until next time, please enjoy these last weeks of the riding season and remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you.
Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider
