Vacation

I spent the last week on a motorcycle road trip down the Washington, Oregon, and Northern California coasts.Left Saturday August 28 with two friends from home and got home Sept 5. Traveled 2426 miles, spent time with my wife and her brother and his kids in San Francisco, and then rode to Fair Oaks CA to visit an old friend that I made in college.

I have lived my life thinking that I am okay, but that good friends are what other people have.

I am married to my best friend, we do everything together, we know each others quirks and enjoy just being with each other. We can finish each others sentences and at times know what the other is thinking with out asking.

Maybe it is my age but lately I have been wondering if I really am influential in peoples lives. You know... am I a person that people like or just endure. I guess that the older we get we start wondering about our legacy.

As I said at the beginning of this post I left home with two friends, we traveled together to San Francisco, after the Golden Gate bridge we parted ways, not that we had differences, just that our plans were different at this point of the trip. I intended to only go as far as San Francisco and they had plans to go farther.

I had found my old college roommate on facebook, I found out that he lived close to my brother in law, so this seemed like an opportunity to take a trip down memory lane. I had very fond memories of our time in college, even though I only went the one year. I was a little apprehensive of the visit, you know the feeling of just being endured for the moment and that it would soon be over.

I am not one to be socially active, some might even go as far as call me anti-social. Small talk and carrying on a conversation for the sake of socializing is not my strong suit. So the trip from the bay area to Fair Oaks was a very gut wrenching time. nobody to talk too, share my fears with. Wondering if I was going to be a burden on a family that I didn't know. What if I was interrupting their Labor Day weekend? What if we were way different from the way we were in college?

This all changed when I was about 60 miles from their home, I was pulled over waiting for a draw bridge to be lowered, and I received a voice mail from my college friend, asking when I was going to arrive, and he sounded excited to see me. That eased my feelings a little.

From the moment I arrived at his home I felt welcomed and accepted, we had good and meaningful conversations, more than just "So how have you been?" Actual life stories and true to the heart talks. People actually listening to what I have to say with out changing the subject matter to focus on themselves. I only stayed for a day and a half but the time was very meaningful.

When I left my friend made the comment "I'll keep in touch." which I took this as a polite goodbye and nice seeing you. This past Wednesday as I was on my way to band practice I received a cell phone call from  this friend, just to say hi and to tell me how much the visit meant to him. Got to tell you...... that made my day.

My life is far from over........ but at least now I can say that it has been more than just endured. Well at least by some. ===Skid===