Earth angels are surrounding me now! This is the most amazing humbling time. I am truly, truly blessed. Jason, a young man who didn't know I existed before yesterday, has offered to fix my bike for free. This is a $2000 job! All I have to pay for is the parts. While sitting in an Applebee's restaurant, making balloons for the kids around me and trying to figure out how to get the money for the parts and where I was going to sleep while the bike was being repaired, I was being watched by another pair of angels, Hans Kresny and his SO, Carol. They wound up offering me a place to stay, food to eat while I've been staying with them, and Hans even wound up volunteering to buy the parts. The bike will be ready to roll by tonight, tomorrow morning at the latest! (Tears in my eyes from gratitude!)
That's the headline version. Many, many more blessings have come over the last few days. I am going to write a book about this journey! What amazing blessings! It makes all the hell I've been through in my life worthwhile...
After I left Barnesville for the "big city" of Fargo, ND, I thought the bike was fixed. As I got to town, I had planned to rent a room for a night to rest (out of the bugs) and to safely leave my stuff as I searched for a place to twist. The cheapest quote I could find would've cost over $60. So I figured I could put up with another night of bugs. I found a local campground and was told that they had only one spot left and that it would cost $28. While standing there thinking about whether I should take it, two couples pulled up on fancy Goldwing/trailer combinations. I figured that was a sign. The guys came in and asked for a spot, since I was already there, I got first dibs and so I took the spot but told the guys they were welcome to share it with me. They each paid $10 and I paid $8.
We all rode back to the site and found a slab with tiny patch of grass just big enough for my tent. They set up their trailers while I put up the tent. I went to see about the local big fair and they went out to eat. The fair was too big to work--big fairs work through committees and getting permission to work them is VERY difficult. I've never been able to do it while the fair is active. So, the Universe will present the next place for me to twist when I get there, though perhaps I will get a hint before I get there; that'd be nice. :-)
They were asleep by the time I got back to the site. In the morning, we passed each other a few times, exchanging pleasantries and briefly visiting. I made the ladies a couple little balloons and one gent tucked a tip into my pocket, $20. I gathered my dirty clothes and headed off to the laundromat. When I got back to the site, they were gone. I broke camp and loaded up and as I picked up the last thing, a bottle of oil, I found a $5 bill under it. Joy! Then, fully loaded, I hopped on the bike and started 'er up....well, pressed the right buttons at least. Got nothing but a click for my efforts. The brand new, $100 battery had died. Oh, Boy...
Well, there was an older couple in the RV next to me and they came out to see what was the matter. I was starting to unpack everything so that I could get to the charger. I plugged it in and told them the story of the last few days. They were retired teachers. He had an multimeter with which we were able to determine that the battery wasn't getting the charge it needed to continue to run. (By this time, it was after checkout time. The manager of the park said I could stay till I got it started. "The people who have the space reserved are arriving in a big RV, they can wait if needed." Very nice woman!) We finally got the bike started by jumping it. It ran for a minute and then died. So, now knowing that the bike could start, I got ready to leave and planned where I would go -- a bike shop 2 miles away called Lone Wolf. It had several other shops fairly close by in case I wasn't able to find help there. I made the woman a balloon and she tipped me a few dollars. The man gave my bike a jump and shook my hand with a $20 in it and blessed my journey. (Second time in 3 days! My new mantra seems to be working."The Universe LOVES to give me money.")
I tried to make it to the bike shop, but the bike stalled 200 yards from the shop at a stop sign. I pushed it the rest of the way. Whew! Pushing a fully loaded, 1000 pound motorcycle such a distance is a chore! When I got there, the shop was closed while they did some errands. While I waited, I looked around the area to see if I could find where I could unroll the sleeping bag when dark came. I had a sense that it was the stator that had gone out. Not good!.Along came the father of the fellow who owned the shop. They didn't work on Goldwings, especially older models. He was extremely nice and called around, looking for someone who did. After an hour or two, he tracked down a young man named Jason who agreed to come over to check out the situation.
Jason is amazing! He is a virtuoso with older engines. A true artist. He swept in (with his lady friend) and immediately got to the job of diagnosing the bike. He worked with the bike with the familiarity of a consummate professional who loves his work. He quickly got to the root of the problem, but then realized he needed a part with which to test some mysterious (to me) thing. He took off back to his shop to get it. Meanwhile, a family with 3 little girls showed up next door. Heaven for me! Here is where I get to do my thing. I grabbed my balloons and headed over. While twisting for them, I was told the youngest (4) was "shy". I knelt down and twisted a kitty for her, got a smile in return! Then, when I started drawing the face on the balloon I'd made for the middle sister (6), I suddenly felt a warm little weight on my back: it was the tiny one hugging my neck and looking over my shoulder to see what I was doing. I choked up! That, right there, was reason enough for the breakdown. By the time I had made the oldest sister (9) a balloon, these 3 had adopted me, and Jason had gotten back. He continued his testing only to find that it was the stator.
Even though I had suspected it, the fact of it let the wind out of my sails. I was thrown for a loop, not having a clue what to do next. I thought that I would have to let it all go and just walk away, but the Universe had other plans. Jason wouldn't take my money for the diagnosis and even offered to do the labor of fixing the bike for free. Talk about being floored! The forums say that replacing the stator is a $1500 jobs, at least! He got the bike started and I followed him to his garage. He rents two old one-car garages to work out of. I want to point out that this is not a man who is rolling in the dough. His story is pretty bleak which makes the fact of his generosity so much more powerful.We dropped of the bike and he gave me a ride about a mile down the road to Applebee's. (I hadn't eaten yet.)
I went in and was seated close to the door. I had told the young host that I was a traveling balloon entertainer and so he told one little boy to come get a balloon. I was very happy to be twisting, not just because it kept my mind occupied with joy instead of worry. He sat a number of families close to me and at one point, I had 5 of the employees gathered around the table, including the manager. I had noticed a table of two ladies and a gentleman a few tables away and wondered if my twisting was bothering them, but they looked amused and interested. I didn't make any money while at the restaurant, but the host wound up paying for my meal and then vanishing so I couldn't thank him. :-)
Well, remember the table with the two women and the gentleman? They turned out to be Earth Angels. They stopped by and wished me well on the way out. I appreciated it and went on with what I was doing.A few minutes later, he came back in, looking for his wallet. I have a flashlight on my cell phone so got up to help him look under the table. We couldn't find it so he gave the manager his info and left. A moment later, he came back to say that if I needed a place to stay and was ready to go, I was welcome at his house. Wow. That's when I learned about my meal having been paid for by the host.
I was introduced around as I got into the car, Cathy, Carol and Hans. It was Carol's idea to offer to host me, so I was later informed. I was taken to a very beautiful home with genteel decor and given a room and an invitation to whatever food I found. Hans an Carol are not only wonderful hosts, but they have very interesting stories. Both had lost their previous spouses and had met when a mutual friend suggested they email each other. Turns out that they had gotten married on the same day of the same year. Hans, a retired nuclear engineer and published author, has figured out the secret to remaining peaceful through life so we've been having great conversations.
Yesterday, Jason had to get the parts. He decided to do what's known as a "poorboy auto conversion"
on the bike, which means adding an automobile alternator to the bike, thus making the unreliable stator obsolete. I won't have problems with that again for the life of the bike. Plus, this will enable me to add as many lights to the bike as I wish. Jason also surprised me with the knowledge that he was going to tune up the bike before giving it back to me, so it seems the bike will be in much better shape when I get it back. Wow. Just...wow. We went on the "parts run" and Hans decided to buy the parts for me. Gassho, my friend. I had already given Jason my last $90 and they gave it back to me.
After getting the parts, Hans and I hung out watching the Master at work. What a joy to see. Jason REALLY knows what he is doing! I sure hope he gets a shop that is worthy of his skills. One with a bike jack, at the very least. The man is working on the floor with a messed up back and neck. Jason said that he had enlisted a friend who is an expert welder to help with the work and that the bike would likely be done by the end of the night. He stopped all work on other bikes to get mine back on the road as soon as possible. He did say that there was the possibility that it might not be ready until morning, which is what happened. We are now waiting to hear from him.
Truly, I have been blessed with angels. So, if anyone reading this would like to help out someone who really deserves it with either a job as shop-head (in Southern California where his ex-wife ran off to with his daughter) or with funds and/or business, I will post his information in another post. I can attest to his skill and professionalism.
May you feel as blessed as I do. Om Shanti
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