A Dedication to Two Friends

By Jeffry L’H. Tank

Early this month I received the sad news that two friends of mine past away in late October. Outside of the fact that they were both people I knew and that they both died from cancer or complications thereof, they may at first consideration seem to share no other connection to each other.

The first, Roy, was 80 when he past away from complications relating to cancer. Roy was a man of great personal integrity, a man who, like my father, was a dedicated life long civil servant and career diplomat in the US Foreign Service. Roy also served his country in several Ambassadorial posts, and was instrumental in the peace negotiations in the Middle East during the latter part of the 20th century. He stood for all that was good and just in America, believed most deeply in his country and committed himself to upholding his beliefs through his work and in his personal life.

There is simply not enough good to be said for the man, and his life was the epitome of all the ideas our great nation stands for.

Then there is Mike, who died in his mid 30's, also from cancer. Here again is a man, who, by all accounts, was a man of great personal integrity, who enjoyed life to the utmost, yet accepted the fact of his eminent death from cancer with great dignity. Many of those who knew him were not even aware of his struggle with cancer till close to the end. I firmly believe he withheld this fact simply because he felt there was no need to burden others with his suffering. He enjoyed meeting new people, was a straight shooter in his dealings with friends and with those whom he conducted his affairs. Even when faced with several sour deals in regards to motorcycles he purchased sight unseen, he kept his faith in people and I doubt it affected his ability to trust those with whom he interfaced. He loved riding and spent many long hours in the saddle, and took several extended rides covering thousands of miles even in the last year of his life. He had a great sense of humor, followed his own trail through life and was held in the greatest esteem by those who knew him.

Again, a man about whom there can never be enough good things said.

So now you may be wondering what all this has to do with the theme of this newsletter and of my own interest in writing for it and expounding my own views on what motorcycling is all about and how it relates to who we are and why I feel we are unique? This is, after all, a publication about motorcycling, or more specifically for those involved in motorcycling in and around the state of Virginia. Why write about my personal loss or someone like Mike, who lived thousands of miles away in the often maligned state of Alaska, albeit a fellow motorcyclist? Or then again, why write about someone like Roy, who in fact, never rode a bike at all? A man who's only connection to motorcycles was the fact that for the years that he shared his house and home with me and other young people back in the 70's, he generously gave up the use of his garage for us to store and work on the machines that we collected over those years?

Simply this: that while I knew Roy personally for many years, I never actually met Mike face to face. He was someone I knew solely because of our interactions on the internet through a mailing list and "club" we both belonged to, that was, and is, comprised of folks who enjoy riding and working on BMW's that were produced during the early 70's. Yet regardless of the fact that we never met in person, I can quite honestly call him (Mike) a true friend, just as I consider Roy a close and personal friend. And that's the catch, even though I never met Mike, because of those years of interaction through that mailing list, I got to know something about him, his views, his thoughts and something of what his life was like, as he did me and mine. I'd like to think that we shared a good laugh now and then over various postings to the list and though we didn't communicate personally since all messages we exchanged were sent to the 200+ folks on the list, that in no way affects the end result of our interactions, namely, that we became friends. In point of fact, by also reading what other's who did meet him had to say about what a pleasure it was, I felt connected to him all the more. I'd like to think that we would have met someday and believe that he would have taken as much pleasure in the meeting as I know I would have.

So there you have it, if it weren't for our shared joy of motoring I would have never even known Mike existed at all, much less learned anything about the man, or gotten to know him. This, to me, is a perfect example how being a Biker, Rider or what you will, brings each of us opportunities we would never have had the pleasure to experience under different circumstances. And again it shows how's such experiences can tie you to someone regardless of where you live, or how you meet, even if you share nothing else in common. I've said before how much enjoyment I get from the interactions I've had with others simply because I ride and would have missed otherwise. It's all simply a matter of stopping to take the time, to smile and hold out a hand in friendship and welcome or take those hands that are held out to you. To quote a friend and moderator of another list "It's not about motorcycles, it's about people", that to me says it all. The motorcycle is simply another vehicle (pardon the pun) that allows you to arrive at that point (of human interaction).

Perhaps then in the end they did in fact share much in common. They both lived life to the fullest, they stood by their convictions, they faced death with dignity and both left behind a large circle of friends and loved ones. We should all be so lucky. Surely then there is a lesson to be learned by their example. What greater gift can one person give another?

So to you, Roy, and you Mike, my thoughts are with you now and always, you touched my life and left me a better person because it, and for that I thank you both. Each ride I take I dedicate to your memory, you'll be forever with me as others that have touched me have been in the past.

God speed my friends, God speed.

Your friend

Jeffry L'H. Tank

© Jeffry L’H. Tank

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