My First Father’s Day

After about 5 years of agonizing scans procedures, chemo, and once a week checkups, I have to endure My First Father’s Day without my best friend, mentor, and most of all just Dad.
The prayers for longevity are all over, but the “how’s your dad doing” are still coming from the ones that you just don’t see very often, bringing back the feelings, although for shorter lengths of time. But now I’ll have all waking hours of Father’s Day to remember him.
My father and I have always shared a lot of time together, some of which was discussing our differences of opinion, most of the time centered around show business and motorcycles.
The show business is where he taught me mechanical skills, driving skills, and how to run a business. Generally, the whole thing is about problem-solving and dealing with people.
Now to me the motorcycle side, take away the running a business, is almost identical, although a lot more fun and a little more dangerous, with all the crazy drivers they give licenses to today!
So, I think back to a time when I was a senior in high school and Dad who was an Enduro racer before my time was telling a story about this old Harley-Davidson that he and a buddy (who had gotten an old Indian) had gotten as projects to fix up and ride. Needless to say, they got shelved when they went off to college and Dad’s old Harley was sitting on a pallet in pieces in Grandma’s garage.
Let’s just say don’t tell principle Sneider, but the next two weeks of skipping school were mainly putting together the 1941 Flathead and just a little bit of the term paper.
I don’t have to tell anybody reading this, but the memories that come from projects like that, are timeless. I am riding that 1941 Flathead today and since, we’ve sold all of our dirt bikes, and have a garage full of Harley-Davidsons that my father put his stamp on. I thank God for these bikes and the ever-enduring good memories and times that I had with my father.
I could go on with many stories like these, but the long version might be coming later, but for now, Happy Father’s Day Mr. Bikefest.

Your son, Eric
In Loving Memory:
Ron Lane
May 26, 1945 – Feb 2, 2018