When I stopped riding for a while it was when my kids were little, but I never stopped thinking about it. I just didn't have the money for toys and I needed transportation that I could haul 2 little girls around in, so motorcycles really didn't fit into my life. In time, I was able to get a few beat-up old clunkers and I was able to get back out on the road. It was a nice feeling to be able to feel that freedom that comes with riding, but somehow I knew that something was missing. My wife didn't want to ride with me, she had a pretty bad scare at one time and just couldn't bring herself to get on. I suggested she take a riding class, hoping that she might just get over the fear. As frightened as she was, she was a real trouper and took the class, even though she had some major panic when she figured out that she was actually going to be riding herself! I took the class too, for "moral support". I was arrogant enough to believe that I didn't need to take a class, I knew how to ride. Boy, was I wrong. I learned some skills that amazed me and I broke some bad riding habits that I didn't even know I had.
Suddenly I knew what I had been missing! I wanted to teach this stuff! I felt I could really contribute something to people by making them better, safer riders. I just didn't know when, but I would teach someday. Shortly after we moved back to NY my daughter was in a devastating car crash that left her brain injured and in pretty rough shape. That did it. My resolve became pretty strong then and I knew that the time was right since I couldn't help her. I was sure I could help someone else and save a life, so I found out what I had to do to be come an instructor. It was a difficult week of classes, but well worth it. And to make it even better, my wife watched me go through that and decided that she could do it too. I was so proud when she certified!
Fast forward a few years..I loved mentoring new instructors and working with students. I helped run a training site for a guy that ran a site in another city and truly loved it. In time I was asked by the state program to help them out with the whole state program, and I was more than happy to jump in there as well! I was something that suited me and I loved the people. The program was strictly run in NY at that time, we were very picky about the quality of the instuctors and made sure they were well qualified to come into the program. After all, they were going to be teaching skills to people to maybe save their life and it doesn't get more importatant than that does it?
When the state contract was taken out of state, my training life came to an end. I saw the writing on the wall. It was going to be about numbers and money. Not about safety so much any more.
I have high hopes that somebody will see what has become of a once great training program and maybe, just maybe bring it back to the level it once was, but I doubt it will happen. The Emperor has no clothes has never been more appropriate for a comparison of the program. From the outside it looks fantastic, but when you know how it was you realize how poor it has become. Greed is the word, and I guess the feeling that some training is better than no training is "good enough".
It makes me sad to watch the sun set on that part of my life..
