An entirely understandable position, Bob. My aunt and uncle have been teaching me to ride, but I've yet to take it much further myself after my aunt's 2 really bad wrecks.
I may still do it, but we'll see.
(Love the photo of the arch.)
And it's true what they say about motorcycle riders.. There are 2 types, those that have crashed, and those that will.. Even if you are the best motorcycle driver in the world, there are a lot of morons out there on the road that you can't control.. Maybe think about getting yourself a T-Rex.. ? :)
I think you've made the good (and safe) choice :) Wish you many more years of making good photos.
Wise words Bob and a good decision thought through logically.....in so many of these situations we get pushed along on the crest of a wave and are afraid to get off for fear of what others will say. You did well to step back...life is sweet why unnecessarily increase the odds of it ending....great shot with that camera...if I don't get one soon I will explode. Phil
Bob, this is by far my favorite post from you. Your words brought tears to my eyes. You are a good man and those around you are blessed by having you in their lives.
Pinhole camera image? Wow!! Love it.
excellent grain!
Good conclusion. Truth be told, I hate the damn things. Don't like being around them on the road. Get yourself a two seater BMW (car). Then, hit the road. Another fantastic pinhole Bob.
Bob I rode for more than 20 years and was lucky I was safe and sane and except for that one truck all went well. When my oldest daughter came along I decided it wasn't worth it anymore sold the motorcycle and bought a Jeep . Convertables are almost as good and a lot safer , A decision I havent regretted .
Wise words Bob. I lost my sister-in-law and almost lost my brother to a single, avoidable, stupid motorcycle accident. There's no denying the mystique and they're addictive as hell. Kudos to you for clarity of thought and wisdom in the human condition.
Another beautiful pinhole to boot. Gorgeous.
That roadtrip would be more fun together, in your truck, than alone on a bike ;)
Thanks for making me your favourite photographer of the day.
Great image.....and wonderful lesson to learn. On the one hand there's the desire to grab life by the balls and just go for it...on the other hand, there's knowing that what we do affects those around us. We can live the life fulfilled once we've measured what is important around us.
My husband wants a motorcycle, I'm going to have him read what you wrote. Thank you for that.
This is what I did for him: http://chantalstone.my-expressions.com/archives/6198_1110500388/164992
It was a year ago this week since a good friend died while he was on his motorcycle. He was 21. The feeling you have while riding isn't worth the feeling of losing someone.
Also, I wanted to say that your site is a breath of fresh air. The images, your commentary. You add a context to the images as if we were there shooting with you. Thank you.
Ultimately a wise decision, my friend. I've known too many people who have gotten hurt on those things despite being careful. And it's bad enough driving around in the neighborhood and trying to avoid all these a-holes on the road running stop signs, driving on shoulders, crossing three lanes on a busy highway, etc.
Warren's right, the motorcycle has a tremendous allure and mystique. It's also a great antidote when one's having a midlife crisis. ;-) But it's ultimately a dangerous machine. Another reason I never got one. Anyway, good to see you're sticking with the four-wheel variety of motorized transport.
Oh, and this pinhole is killer bee. Purple haze, indeed!
Wuss.
Just kiddin'. You're probably right. I would definitely miss your 4x5 Pinhole Polas.
You learned in a weekend what it took me 2 years of close calls in traffic on my bike to learn. Life is a gift and riding a motorcycle these days is as close to Russian Roullette as you can get sans gun. No matter how careful you are as a rider, ultimately its not up to you to choose the if or the when.
I can't say anthing that hasn't already been said so...ditto.
Great story. Smart decision process...!!!
Washington Square Park?
I'm interning around there, over on Broadway.
Maybe we'll run into eachother!
Wonderful shot! And very good decision on not riding your motorcycle, but you should put your hardwork to use once in a while!
ditto..
Took the riding safety course and never bought or rode a motorcycle again.
Looks like I'm the only one swimming in the other direction. It's life who kill us, not the other car down the road. That car can hit you on the sidewalk, you can die while sleeping, eating and swimming too, whatever direction you choose. We don't know the time (for most of us) of our last moment, so why freaking out about it? Maybe it's because I'm a new rider as well, or it's just selfishness, but I don't think so.
You talked about odds, but life isn't a game you can try to beat. It is alright to not do things that scared you, if not, man, enjoy. We all want peoples around us to be happy, but to achieve that, we need to be happy too.
Soory for my poor english skills, I'm better on a motorcycle!
Well, I've been riding motorcycles for over 30 years now. I've had about half-a-dozen crashes. Three of those involved other vehicles pulling across me from junctions and all were at low speed.
I'm still in one piece - though at least one of the bikes isn't (but that's an insurance thing).
Never have learned to drive a car. On the grounds that I'm not blind yet. :)
Washington Square Park is one of my fav places too. I have images similar to this. It looks great with a pinhole.