{mosimage}When I attended Methodist College my professor, Mr. Green, used to ask us every night if we had “any unfinished business.” He asked this after our Death and Dying Class. He told us to make sure we didn’t because we didn’t know if we would ever see each other again. Over time it became more than a phrase or a teaching point. It became a way of thinking because it became clear to me how fragile life is.
When I get on my bike in the morning I ask myself “Who’s going to try to kill me today?” I say this to get my focus on business. We all know that riding is dangerous not so much because of our skills but because someone else isn’t watching out for us or we don’t see them. No matter what the cause is, if an accident occurs, as riders we have responsibilities which go beyond our riding.
I wish this was a cool article about riding, but this one is on responsibilities of the worse type. In my wallet I have a piece of paper wrapped around my driver’s license that reads “If you are reading this, I’ve screwed up. Please call╔..”and I give contact information for my family members. I printed this up after seeing a few wrecks and wondered how hard it was for first responders to track down someone’s relatives or next-of-kin. At first I just had it in my wallet but my cousin Jerry, who is a fireman in Raleigh, suggested that I wrap it around my license. That was a great idea.
My letter goes on to give addresses, home, cell and work numbers where these people can be found. I give them an alternate person to contact, as well as my blood type. I also tell them I am a donor and my last sentence reads “Thank you for scraping me up.”
It’s pretty funny and my hope is to tell my last joke if this happens to be my final publishing. I’m a funny guy like that, but seriously I don’t want a policeman or first responder spending the day trying to figure out my life story. We live in a military town and because so many people have their licenses and tags registered at their home-of-record it could make finding a loved one difficult. No one would like to see anyone wasting a day trying to find your wife or husband in Biloxi, Miss., only to discover that they actually live off Owen Drive.
It is also important to have your legal affairs in order in the event of something tragic occurring. Many of us ride with our significant others and if something happens to both of us, it is our responsibility to make sure that our family is taken care of. If you don’t have a will, living will or durable Power of Attorney, you will want to speak with an attorney to make sure that you have your affairs in order. Oh, did I ask you if “there is any unfinished business” before I go?
motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!