Camaraderie

We received tragic news last week. My best friend from high school's father was killed in a motorcycle accident on November 17 that also left his mother in critical condition. They were traveling southbound on Arizona Ave when a postal worker turned left in front of them. Chris was killed almost instantly, Marlene broke several bones and is in the ICU, but is expected to make a full physical recovery.

The funeral was held in Gilbert, with all his family and many of his friends coming to pay their respects.

Chris had been taking care of his wife who had symptoms similar to early-onset dementia. They would go on walks and watch movies, but mostly they went for rides on the Harley. They joined up with a Harley rider's club, and went on rides from their home in Chandler all the way to Florida and Illinois. They would spend hours cruising around Arizona highways and byways. It was therapeutic for Marlene and it was a way for them to spend time together.

The most impressive part of the services was after the funeral had ended.

The Harley Rider's Club rode over to Chris's house to pay their respects. You could hear the roar of 70 motorcycles from over a mile away. There were easily 100 people that rode in to show their support for my friend and his family. It was truly amazing to see the camaraderie and friendship of these leather-clad well-wishers. Every single one of them came up to my friend and shook his hand or gave him a hug and told him how much they loved his father. All of them said "You are part of our family now. Anything you need, at any time, you just let us know."


It is interesting to me how we can make these relationships that last a lifetime (and beyond) based on such a little thing. These people rode motorcycles together. A couple of times a month they would ride to Sedona or Prescott to eat dinner and ride home. A couple of times a year they would organize a longer ride out of state, have dinner, and ride home. Yet these people showed up en masse to honor their fallen friend. Their connection to my friend and his family arose from happenstance to full blown familial ties, and I have no doubt that they will make good on their promises.

Watch out for motorcycles. It's dangerous enough as it is out there.