lietoome
Needs a job
Posts: 2033
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posted September 16, 2005 05:12 AM
A moment of clarity(long read)
Yesterday was a bad day. I've been getting a 'caliber' of students that is unprecedented. I've spent the better part of 18 hours a day for the past month trying to get my students to understand what I'm teaching; I've pulled out every trick in the book to get these guys thru my two tests....the results are less that satisfying to me as an instructor.
This sets the stage for the happenings of yesterday, 15 September 2005. After getting my ass chewed for the 'testing skills' of three of my students, it violently took a turn for the worse. Stro, a fellow instructor and Busa pilot can't wait to show me the spy shots of the new ZX 'Hyper-Tourer.' I've been waiting and hoping that Kawasaki would step up to the plate and come out with a ZX? That would flat out get down and dirty....All the while, doing it as one of the most beautiful machines ever known to man-kind. My 12 does it all, its beautiful, and still offers power that I'm am not yet able to tap into. That's not the issue at hand though. Kawasaki quit, threw in the towel, if you will. They assume that I want a track bike for a guy built like a pony-jockey. I'm not 'that guy'. I'm not looking at buying a new bike yet(not anymore that is). Now, I will still be hounded by my partners that ride busas...because 'our' new flagship is just flat out ugly.
Jump ship? Who knows right now. This new ZX may be the best thing since sliced bread, but it's a turd sandwich as far as what I want in a motorcycle. A bikes just got to be Sexii...which the new ZX is not. I'm hoping that this animal will 'bring wood' and monster torque, but it still isn't beautiful.....
Which leads to the end and reason for my story: After seeing the spy pics, and having a less than enjoyable day....after seeing Kawasaki roll over on its side....I had to take a break. The kinda break I'm talking about is mounting my trusty stead and going for a quick ride before my students came back from chow. Crank it up...oh, that sound! Green...the most beautiful color. I just rode around for a bit and decided to come back on post and grab a bite to eat at Pop-eye's. After grinding on a couple strips and fries, I stepped out side to have a smoke before headed back to work................
Sitting out side, I noticed there were several guys sitting around on cell phones, some chatting with one another. There was one kid in particular that was just sitting there feeding the black crows and pigeons. Off in his own little world. Maybe 19 years old, not a day older. He and the other fellas are National Guardsmen from California. Called up to active duty to drive trucks around Bagdad. Sitting there watching this kid feed a black bird(tap,tapping at my door), I got a weird feeling that I'd never see this guy again. Before I headed back to work, I introduced myself, shook his hand and gave him a few tips on staying alive. I learned a few while I was in Somolia , nothing at the scale of what these guys are enduring now, but tips that helped me come home in one piece and of sound mind(from when I was his age). While I sat and talked to him, I caught myself trying not to read his name tape..... Every week I check the names of those that have been killed in Iraq...I have several friends over there and people that I have met over the years in the Marines and now the Army....I check it and pray that no one I know is on the 'list'. This young man, a Hero in my eyes, even at such a young age, is not one of the names I want to see on any list coming from Iraq. I'd rather remember him as a young man kicking back and enjoying the company of a few ratty little birds before he went back to his unit.
Now, what Kawasaki has done to the 12...its just not on my list of important things in life.
The bottom line...and the end of a long story. Regardless of what kind of day you have, you can sleep at night knowing that there are men/women out there doing whatever needs to be done to make sure we can sleep peacefully at night. Whether they are soldiers, policemen, or firemen, there is someone standing ready to defend our lives and freedom even if they have to risk their own....
Keep the Heros in your prayers
Jeff Blevins
SSG, US Army
  
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