Bessie and Me: Shifting Gears

“We carry the lives we've imagined as we carry the lives we have, and sometimes a reckoning comes of all the lives we have lost.” ―  Helen Macdonald,  H is for Hawk My spirit animal made its appearance yesterday. Yes. I have a spirit animal - it is the hawk. The hawk makes its (I refer to the hawk as 'it' because I have no idea if it is male or female, I like to think it is gender neutral) appearance shortly after a loved one has died. My dear friend Charmian passed away last Thursday. No, I don't believe the hawk is the loved one. Thats not exactly how spirit animals work. If you read my book 'Riding Soulo' you know I devoted a chapter to Spirit Animal. My friend Butch had just died in a motorcycle accident - I was devastated of course. I was traveling on Bessie and planned to embark on the Circle Tour of Lake Superior after visiting family. The appearance of the hawk on a desolate county road at dawn surrounded by cornfields was powerful medicine for a grievin

  Charmian Gatlin - A Daisy to Remember Life and Death. Their appearance in our brief trajectory on this planet is both startling and covert.  Life. I anxiously anticipated the birth of my granddaughter - Eloise Jaye - on the 21st of November. Babies being babies she presented herself - startling us all with her early entrance into the world - on Monday the 10th. I am  over the moon thrilled with my new granddaughter - New Life - a celebration; made all the sweeter as she is the baby girl of my baby girl.  Death. Two days later I receive the startling news that my Daisy, my dear friend of 28 years - Charmian - passed away (on her late husbands birthday no less). I spoke with Charmian a few days prior as she was in the hospital recovering from a fall. Charmian was her usual, ornery, upbeat self - giggly and lucid from pain meds - assuring me that she was 'okay' and 'I'll be home in a few days.' The news of her passing was like a punch in the gut. My heart goes out to

 "We only regret the rides we didn't take." I personally have never experienced any significant growth as a human being by staying inside my comfort zone. The only real growth I've acquired is when I'm challenged to move beyond that which is comfortable or within my skill set. Growth requires change; I've learned that many times over and in many different ways since my teen years. Discomfort and often times outright pain are necessary as well.  I like to think I'm a glass-half-full kind of person. Weather Report: 30% chance of rain. Me: 70% chance it won't, let's ride! Weather Report: 40 mph wind gusts Me: Yeehaw! Cowboy up and ride bitches! When I started riding in January of '08, I was riding with the Buffalo Soldiers (I know ...right?!). Looking back, I was totally out of my element with that group, but they embraced me as a rider. And if you know anything about the Soldiers...they ride. Before you are accepted as a 'prospect' you ha