A Recently Discovered Regret

Lately the thought of a lost opportunity popped up and has been running through my mind.

I am talking about only discovering the joys of motorcycling when I was already in my mid-40s. Why couldn't I have had this epiphany when I was younger, still on active duty with the Army, stationed in Italy and later on, Germany!

Oh the touring I could have done when not "in the field". Sure, I traveled when I could, by train and car. But to have been able to motorcycle my way through Europe! That, I realize now would have been awesome! I spent three years there, half in Italy and half in Germany.

Then again, being younger and less "mature" shall we say, who knows what kind of trouble I probably would have gotten myself into. I'd like to think though that I would have discovered the magic of Beemers regardless, perhaps even found myself a vintage airhead to later ship home with me as I returned to the States.

Yes, a R100S Airhead, going full bore down the nearest Autobahn, crossing from one end of West Germany (yes, its that long ago that I was there) to the other in less than three hours! Crossing the passes in the Alps, riding through all the other countries....

Or maybe I would have found myself a used Ducati to hammer my way down the Autostradas of Italia. Stopping only to gas up and partake of an expresso while watching the young and mini-skirted Italian girls ride by on their Vespas.

Writing the above paragraph, the memory of a red leather clad female rider, on a red sports motorcycle, no helmet, dark aviator sunglasses and long dark hair, comes to mind. She certainly was a traffic stopper, and that was while she waited for the light to change. Woof.

So in one of those alternate universes you read about in Science Fiction stories, some fortunate version of me did discover motorcycling while a young officer stationed in Europe. Lucky bastard.

Still, I wouldn't trade my present life for anything. I've a loving wife, two great sons, two good motorcycles and there's still time to ride Europe some day.....