Gas Station Stops

by John Reblin

A new year is here. I hope that this upcoming year is prosperous and healthy for all. It has also just been that season of friends and relatives getting together to share stories, gifts, and friendship. It might be over a plate of food, a few cocktails or bumping into that person you know on the street with the promise of, yeah, let’s get together sometime. But that time never seems to materialize.

With the colder weather and the early snow falls this year, when I run into people from my riding family, some of my past conversations have been about “What am I doing over the winter to get ready for next year?” or “What rides am I planning to take in 2020?” Along with those conversations, discussion goes into home maintenance and upgrades. And yes, I think we all are now talking about those aches and pains that we didn’t have before, and what we take or do to relieve them.

I was looking through some of my news feeds that I get on the laptop, looking for articles of interest to get my day started and I came across an article about a person that has been deer hunting for a number of years and has seen some changes in the sport. He compared hunting in the past maybe 5 or 10 years ago to hunting now, and he was explaining the thrill of the hunt. He talked about being out by yourself, alone with the trees and fields, watching nature all around you in the silence and waiting for that deer to come close enough to take down in a safe humane way, providing food and a hide to give warmth for his family. He talked about after the kill going to a tavern, or in his case a general store, to register the deer. After the registration process you talked, bragged, shared stories of the hunt with others there after their successes were had. You stood or sat in the warmth of the room, taking in the discussions, swapping your stories with friends and strangers and sharing your happiness with the owners, having some food or a beverage reliving the experience once again. You hone the story to tell over the next year until you are able to get out in the fields again. Now you don’t need to register your animal at the local site. You just need to call it in or using your smartphone, go online and with a few clicks give the information to the DNR. These check stations are empty of the hunters and the “kill”.

I started to think of some of the rides I have been on over the last couple of years. The different cities, and states that I have traveled to, sometimes with friends, sometimes with the “little flower” but always with a purpose in mind. Taking the motorcycle is getting some wind therapy and most of you reading this get that. Every time I swing my leg over the seat, problems slide to the back of the brain. You are paying attention to the road and looking for those actions of others that can become serious issues if you are not careful. You are continuously planning the route making changes as things come up, such as construction, weather or timing to arrive safely and on time. As you ride, you get into a groove and then you have time to think about things, issues, problems or life.

If you ride for any distance, you know that you need to stop for fuel or do the small repair that could grow into something that won’t allow you to make it home. Or maybe you had the extra cup of coffee and you need to relieve that pressure starting to build within yourself. Depending on what you are riding and who and how you are riding, the distances grow and shrink in length of time and distance between fill ups of fuel. Hopefully, you plan it out, so you don’t end up alongside the road looking for a close chance to get some gas or hoping that Chubby has his spare gallon in the saddlebag to get you to the next gas station.

The gas station on these rides becomes our source of sharing our love of the road. Stopping after riding those 150ish miles, getting low on fuel and pulling up to the pump is only the beginning. You get off the bike and stretch your legs then look around to see who else is at the station. I start to share a few words with other people that look to be willing to break up the monotony of putting fuel in the car. I look for the unusual, talking to the guy that is hauling his drag car to the local race promoting the cars of yesterday. We go into the station, grab some coffee or a water to replenish those levels, and maybe some jerky or look over the roller dogs, to stave off the hunger. The cashier, if not busy, will usually ask where you are going, giving some travel or weather tips that will help you out. And while I am stopped, I talk to those I am riding with, sharing the experience of what I had seen or what had happened. I might exchange the thoughts that I had or an idea that came to me while riding that we should try. After the short conversation, we start out again to continue the conversation at the next stop. These stops under the awning next to the pumps are reassuring and give me things to think about while on the road riding to my destination.

So, the next time you are out riding to your future destination, make sure you spend some time at the gas station. Enjoy the parked time of the journey with friends, loved ones or strangers. Share your experiences, meet new friends and take in the whole journey, not just the time on the asphalt.

John