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During this time I was not riding, however, after a while, I began to have the itch to ride again. Some things are just hard to let go of. In order to keep the investment at a minimum, we decided to buy a small bore bike. We found this little 125cc Honda at Creasy's Honda in Lexington and brought it home. I hit my old practice track with it and must say it was a blast. I had only raced a 125cc bike once before, after riding this one I wondered why. It felt so light and turnable you thought you could just do anything on it. It was very forgivable to any mistakes and I thought I was going to be able to ride it fast. I was beginning to gain some weight, but I was still in the 170-pound range which was passable on the small bikes.
I had heard of a young man in Reagan named Jonathan Thompson who folks were saying was pretty fast. He had a practice track behind his house and I wanted to test my metal. We met and it was a good ride together, he was fast, and being able to ride with him gave me some needed confidence.
Providence would have it, the first race that came along was a holiday event in Burns Park Arkansas. It was a big event and a lot of competition. We drove down in my old 1966 Chevy pickup which had a broken front coil spring that gave it a limp on one side, it was hoot driving it down. I remember taking the little bike to the starting gate and looking up and down the line of riders. I remember taking notice I was the only one with a beard, I was perhaps the only one old enough to grow one. Until then it had never occurred to me that the 125cc class was going to be filled with fearless young boys wanting to prove something. I was reaching the age where I was beginning to want to avoid pain whenever I could.
The gate dropped and I was the first man into the first turn, it felt good to be in front again. Unfortunately, I was only in front until the first whoop section, those young fearless boys started passing me like crazy. There was nothing I could do, I was already going so fast I was scaring myself. I finished the first moto somewhere around 20th place. I lost all confidence and my desire to ride was crushed. This boy felt like he couldn't run with the fast boys and needed to stay on the porch. I told Julie I was done, we loaded the truck and I never tried the second moto. It was the last race I would ever enter. This time I was done.
Had there been a local race, had I been able to move back into racing gradually increasing the competition, it might have lasted. But Providence would have it that I would be confronted with the reality that I was going nowhere. I would only be riding for fun, and for me, it was no longer fun if I couldn't win.
The decisions we make in life are most complicated, enumerable circumstances take their toll on our will and set the course of our lives. All of these things are known to an infinite God who guides our path and takes us to our determined end. (Act 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.) ( Pro 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.)
Why are we where we are today? Circumstances, pressures, tragedies, successes, and failures. All these things working together bring us to where we are. Time is continuing to pass, we are still moving from one season to another. We must know God has known our all from the beginning of time, we are not alone in whatever stage we are at in life. We may be in a victory, we may be in a devasting and painful defeat. Where ever we are the path is set, it may not be sure to us, but there is purpose in Him. We must trust Him to lead us to His ultimate end. All these things will either drive us to Him in faith and hope or in rejection of Him and into hopelessness. (2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:)
May God bless,
David
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