13. The Wistful Young Mom

Summer of 1986 found Judy, Scott and me returning home from one of the very best vacations we'd ever had. We'd just spent two weeks making a big swing through Colorado during which time we had crossed every major pass and quite a few of the lesser known ones. This was one trip where everything had gone perfectly. We'd stopped at a small motel in Colby, Kansas for the night. Next morning we packed up and rode to the local McDonalds by the Interstate for breakfast. It was real early. We were one of the first to be served and this just fell in the magic of the trip.

After breakfast we went to the parking lot where I was checking out the bikes when I heard a sweet voice say, "That looks like so much fun. I've always wanted to travel like that." I turned and saw an attractive young woman in a brand new Audi station wagon. I smiled. Attractive young women always make me smile.

I said, “It really is a lot fun. We've traveled all over the USA, Mexico and Canada. We don’t even think of goin’ on vacation without our bikes.”

She went on to tell us that they were headed home early having had a miserable trip. Her three little kids had gotten sick and thrown up in the back seat of the brand new car. Then they got caught in a hail storm that dented the brand new car. After that her husband got a speeding ticket in the brand new car. They argued every day; he was still mad about the hail damage and the kids were irritable. She would just be glad to get this trip behind her. She couldn't wait to get away from her husband and the kids for a while.

We sympathized, wished her well and pulled out on to I-70 East for the last leg of our journey. Not long after, I looked in the mirror and saw the Audi coming up fast; distinctive hail dents shining in the sun. As the car whipped around me I saw the young woman look at the bike with a wistful expression of longing in her eyes. I radioed ahead for Judy and Scott to be sure to smile and wave when she went by.

It was one of those poignant moments when you have a sense of a significant opportunity lost. I wish we had offered her a ride around town or been able to invite her on a supper ride, or at least told her some funny stories to cheer her up! Ah, well, maybe next time...