anti-aging secret & a product that works

[BarelyAWake]

I use my bike as a daily commuter now, buzzing to and from work grinning like an idiot Wherever I stop for a moment, people come up and check out my bike and ask all of the inevitable questions: "Where did you buy it?" "Where can I get one?" "Did you build this?" "How fast does it go?" to name a few.

The best reactions are of course from the kids. I'll come out of a store with coffee in hand to find a gaggle of young'uns all crowded around it babbling feverishly about how awesome it would be to have one, how they would have a chopper, what color it would be, how they would conquer the world (or at least the neighborhood) with a ride like that. I've even had one or two park their bike next to mine, hunker and squint - trying to see in their mind's eye just how theirs would look.

The first time I rode to work, my boss's son didn't say a whole lot about it. I did notice however that almost every time I trooped on down to the shop to have a smoke, he'd be there peering at some bit or another and ready with some small question. There must have been some persistent pressure going on behind the scenes though because one day he came up to my office and asked simply "My dad says I can order a kit - who should I call?"

I gave him the information on a couple of the very best dealerships, ones with excellent reputations and warranties as the last thing I wanted was any possibility for disappointment. Then I went outside and checked out his bike to make sure it was suitable. Once I gave him the thumbs-up, he took the piece pf paper with my scrawled notations and disappeared. A few days later he tentatively asked me "My kit came in, could you check it out for me?"

The next few days he spent in an absolute obsession, tinkering away building his new toy. Despite his father's comments about how "That kid never finishes anything" and "You're gonna end up doing that for him" I was mightily impressed by not only his dedication, but by just how little he asked of me. He asked only that I park my bike next to his so he could use it as an example and would occasionally wait patiently until I had a second to ask me about some detail or another that puzzled him.



After only about three days, he said "I think my bike will be finished soon, I know you don't work tomorrow - but could you maybe stop by for a second to check it for me before I try to ride it?" I said "Of course man, no problem at all, I'll be there first thing." and he ran off to work on it some more.

The next morning I jumped on my bike and buzzed on over to see if he was ready. I had left my house far earlier than I normally would on a work day, assuming correctly that he'd be there already waiting for me, regardless of the fact we had agreed on a later time. I might be old - but I remember very well how time slows to a painful crawl in a situation like this... Actually, it's not so much "remembering" as I still suffer the "kid on Christmas Eve" syndrome myself from time to time.

After checking his work, correcting only a very few small problems and heckling him for not fixing his front brakes (again lol) I told him that I thought it was ready for a test run. Warning him that it probably wouldn't run very well for a while as it's a brand new motor and needs be broken in, and reassuring that this would get better with time - I opened the garage door and watched as he pushed it outside.

Once outdoors, he just stood there for a minute staring at the bike. I asked him what's up and he looked at me and asked "Could you try and start it for me? You know what you're doing." I asked him if he was sure, as it was the bike's first run and being the tinker that I am I consider that special. Beginning to look a little desperate he asked me "Please?" so with a smile I said I'd be honored.

After a little messing about with fuel and whatnot, we got it running and I rode it only far enough across the lot and back to make sure nothing was going to be a problem for him. Handing him his bike I said "Good job man, Its ALIVE muhahaha! Take her out for a spin." He spent the rest of the day vrooming around the lot with the biggest grin humanly possible, stopping only long enough to thank me earnestly for all my "help" - despite the fact that I had little to do with it, that it was all his doing, and that I had told him so repeatedly.

Honestly, I really must thank him for reminding me what it's like to be a kid.

[restapukin]

nice writing - got me in.

[BarelyAWake]

heh - thx restapukin, ironically nuff I was correcting typos and redundancies when I saw yer kind words

[azbill]

very cool story !
kudos on helping the next gen of riders
(even if was mostly inspirational !!!)

[TerrontheSnake]

Yep, if ya think they can't finish a Job give them a Job with a reward they want and you can bet they'll finish it. I can't wait till my boy is ready to start being Dads lil helper.

[fasteddy]

Terron, that's what I said. Then my #$&^^$%#!@ tools disappeared and I had to buy them all over again.
He repaired every one elses junk but mine and he still is.

Steve.

[2door]

Barely,
Thanks for sharing your story. I wish more youngsters would take an interest in this hobby and others that don't involve a computer, video game or headphones. Creating something with your hands, something real that you can actually see, touch and enjoy is a rewarding experience. I fear too many kids today may never know that satisfaction. Good for you for being there for the boy.
Tom

[TerrontheSnake]

That is true Eddy, damn

[~macaddict~]

I liked it. :]

[BarelyAWake]

Thanks for the complements guys

I wasn't sure a rambling narrative such as that would be something to post here, yet as there was a direct correlation between my oh-so-recent first build and the experience of watching my boss's son do the same, I wanted to share the parallels with others of a like mind.

In many ways the adventure, suspense, anticipation, and gratification undergone by one so young were identical to the emotions I felt despite the age difference, it really gave me a new perspective on my own views. I take myself far too seriously sometimes.

While I was building my MB, I gave little thought to how similar these aspects were. In retrospect, I egotistically viewed this pastime as an engineering experiment, a simple means to an end, a way to circumvent the normal expenses incurred with other forms of transportation, and other rationalizations that masked the underlying truth. I forgot the fun.

Watching him build his bike, more importantly undergoing the exact same emotions I had - but repressed, reminded me of the self-imposed gulf that separated me from the pure experience, the simpler but far more profound joy of simple play that is part of youth.

When did I start denying myself such pleasure, and more importantly - why? o_O Fortunately no amount of stern self delusion can manage to overcome the giggly delight, the inescapable regression, the basic fun of just riding around on this sputtering, popping, noisy little toy.

Originally Posted by 2door

Barely,
Creating something with your hands, something real that you can actually see, touch and enjoy is a rewarding experience. I fear too many kids today may never know that satisfaction.
Tom

Tom - you're absolutely on target, I agree wholeheartedly with what you have said. There is such a satisfaction in creating something yourself - this is exactly why I refrained from "hovering" over the boy and just let him do it himself. I didn't want to dilute the "I made this" with a "we".

Surrounded by technicians, the poor kid can hardly change a spark plug without someone insisting he's doing it wrong and/or taking over the job. The vast majority of my "advice" wasn't even for the kid, it was to refute the "suggestions" made by the other adults.

He'd happily be working on his bike, perhaps doing something differently than I would but so long as it wouldn't be dangerous or cause serious damage - I would say nothing. It's his project after all and that's how you learn. Yet time and time again one of the guys would come over, berate the kid for doing something "wrong" and throw down "the way" without explanation.

This is when I'd step in and point out flaws - their flaws and why it didn't work out for my bike. Needless to say the kid loved having someone treat him as an equal for a change and thankfully we're all friends else this could have been... problematic heh. Also as I had just built mine, I'm considered some sort of "expert" on MBs lol and this helped fend off the nitpicking - as unwarranted as my status may actually be

So while the wiring may melt a little as its a bit too close to the exhaust manifold, what is more important? Repeatedly asserting yourself in proving the kid wrong - or letting him learn the ways of tinkering?

Though... I will admit to sneakily checking up on his bike when he isn't looking I really wish they would redesign the chain guide for example. That's one of the few things I insisted on - that a small tack-weld be made to insure it wouldn't dive into the spokes, wreck his bike and hurt the kid. If it wasn't for this forum - I wouldn't have thought of the danger myself, let alone some excited kid and his first MB. At the very least some mention in the instructions needs be made.


yea... I tend to ramble on... lol sorry guys