World Headlines
| Brenda Bates August '09 |
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MEMORY ROAD As we grow older, time seems to fly by at breakneck speed. If someone is now in their 50s it is common to look back on one’s childhood, adolescent, early adulthood and the years leading up to the present as one long continuum. Significant past events can seem to merge into one big blur. Just as childhood and adolescents are punctuated by developmental stages, so, too, do one’s adult years have developmental milestones. It is important to remember one’s past as it makes up all of the pages in one’s book of life. As individual’s, our 20s are highlighted by the psychological transition into adult responsibilities and of releasing adolescent caprice. The 30s are often marked by beginning a family or the discovery of one’s own personal power through established work, family and friends. The 40s often require a new identity shift as individuals in this age range begin to be addressed as “Sir” or “Ma’am,” reflecting back to us our new, older status. It is often during this stage that people find themselves caring for their elderly parents, a huge identity shift in which a brilliant light shines upon us, letting us know that our parents now need us instead of the other way around. At this point in life, a midlife crisis can occur - one longs for a return to their youthful identity. While some deal with a midlife crisis better then others, this identity struggle can last into one’s 50s and sometimes beyond. Everything that an individual has become is largely a result of the way they dealt with all of the developmental stages that have come before. Reflecting upon one’s life and the events that have happened along life’s journey is a pastime that middle-aged people frequently find themselves engaged in. This trip down memory lane is often an effort to piece together one’s present circumstances and identity. Sometimes it can be a daunting task because the mind has difficulty recalling long past details. A useful aid in harkening back memories is to think in terms of objects that were present during a certain time period. This is because it isn’t just people who make up our lives and our past but also inanimate objects. Humans have created countless objects in order to fill our world with meaning. Some of these objects are necessary for survival such as shelter and clothing. Other objects are not survival orientated but are necessary as human expressions of themselves. Objects are psychological projections. It is through objects that we satisfy ourselves that our world is solid, concrete, real. Motorcycles can be included in this category. For people who have been riding motorcycles for a many years, our bikes can serve as catalysts to summon back memories from long ago. Motorcycles do more then simply take us from point A to point B. They can be the objects that have marked milestones throughout our lives. For example, the easiest way for me to remember my college years during my 20s is to recall the Suzuki GS450 I then owned. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, a 450cc bike was considered to be a road-hog, a really big bike. For a female, a 450cc was considered huge. When I think about that old Suzuki, I remember many things about those early college years that I am sure I would not remember if not for that bike. I remember one time when I slid into the college parking lot as my rear tire temporarily lost traction over a slippery patch of snow. My textbooks broke loose from the bungee cord which held them in place on the seat. When I went to retrieve them, one had flung itself open and landed in the slush, and I remember studying that dirty, water-damaged text for the rest of that semester. I also recall the guy sitting next to me in a class who asked what had happened to my text book. From there, he and I developed a friendship that I still remember. Bikes also help me remember many things about my childhood, a childhood I wouldn’t recall as clearly if not for my minibike. I have fond memories about riding through the woods with my Dad, spending real quality time together. Then there are the many road trips that I have taken throughout the years. Some say that the vacation spot is the destination for a trip. For me it’s more about the ride, the bike and the many fine people (many of them motorcyclists) that make up the highlights of a vacation. By focusing upon my bike, I begin to recall the many fine details of road trips. So, next time you’re taking a trip down memory lane, recall a bike you owned at the time and be ready for a flood of memories to carry you away... |