Good morning and thanks for joining us once again, ladies and gentlemen. We have made it through another week, and it is finally Friday. There’s only one way to celebrate that achievement around here: Crank the George Jones.
Friday is its own kind of holiday (the once-a-week variety), but you know how we do here at The County Line. If there’s a day on the calendar, someone somewhere has made a holiday out of it, and it’s my job to bring that information to you. Today is no exception—happy National Motorcycle Day, folks.
This is a faux holiday that does not and will never impact me, but one I get. I can see how it came about, as opposed to something like National Chocolate with Almonds Day. See? That one sounds made up, but it’s real (and it’s also today).
No, the motorcycle holiday is a little more understandable. A lot of people are really into motorcycles, so a day makes sense. Conversely, while surely plenty of people enjoy chocolate with almonds, who cares enough about it to make it a day? What person or group of people decided they needed to make it happen? Do they have any hobbies or interests outside of chocolate with almonds?
Some people build their entire personality and persona around their motorcycle. People join clubs or gangs and get together and ride and work on and talk about bikes. They provide protection and transport drugs and guns. They form prison alliances and bribe cops and betray family members. I should mention now that almost everything I know about motorcycles and biker culture I learned from “Sons of Anarchy,” but I’m sure the portrayal was authentic so we’re good.
I hope I never see the person who does the same with chocolate and nuts. What would their vests even look like? What illegal activities would be their specialty? Who would play the brooding Jax Teller-type antihero in the inevitable one-hour dramatic TV series on FX? These are questions I hope are never, ever answered.
While this two-wheeled faux holiday is not as outrageous as some, it’s not one that you’ll ever see me observe. Maybe “participate” is the better word there. I might observe some motorcycling, but I won’t be on one. Bikes haven’t appealed to me since I got off my 10-speed around the time Creed was getting popular. The closest I’ve ever come to even riding one was when a friend used to have a moped that I cruised around his neighborhood one time, probably before I even had a driver’s license. I felt like a Hell’s Angel, sure, but I never had the urge again.
Regardless of my personal disinclination, I hope all the bikers reading this today celebrate their time in the spotlight with a long, fast, safe ride. For the rest of us, we still don’t have to celebrate chocolate and almonds. There’s always tomorrow.
Today’s Quote of the Day is appropriately motorcycle-themed and comes from the renowned 20th century philosopher Evel Knievel:
“There are old bikers and there are bold bikers, but there are no old, bold bikers.”
Makes sense.
Now for today’s weather, courtesy of the intern:
Just past 7 a.m., it’s currently 73 degrees just outside company headquarters in Russell Springs. The intern correspondent in Jamestown reports an identical 73, and it’s 74 at The County Line’s Columbia branch. Expect the daytime high to once again exceed 90 degrees, with only predicted thunderstorms to occasionally cut the heat. Stay safe.
This post is dedicated to Lana Roy, who happens to be one of this writer’s all-time favorite people (as well as his aunt). We hope this birthday is the best yet, Lana, and that Dale’s gift to you this year is a Harley-Davidson.
