The summer I turned sixteen, I made a vow.  I vowed to marry a man who rode a Harley Davidson motorcycle.  Up to that point in my sheltered life, I had the misconception that anyone who wore a Harley jacket or rode a Harley Davidson motorcycle was an outcast, a burden on society.  The sheltered little girl was gone and replaced by a young lady in love with Harley Davidson motorcycle riders.

Much to everyone's surprise, that summer changed my life.  My family and I were on vacation, traveling across the country in my Dad's van, enjoying the open rode and seeing the country.  It was an innocent time, and yet this trip changed my view on people and the society we live in.

As I stated previously, Harley Davidson motorcycle riders were considered filthy, lawless animals.  My mother forbade my sister and I to even look in their direction.  That was difficult to do.  There were Harley Davidson motorcycle riders passing our van constantly.  It seemed everywhere you turned there was a Harley jacket riding by.  As these men and women passed, my sister and I began to wave.  Both of us wondering if they were as bad as we had heard.

All of a sudden, BAM!  Our front tire blew out.  My father pulled the van to the side of the rode.  Several cars passed us, no one stopping to help.  Then, much to my suprpise, five very loud, Harley Davidson motorcycle riders pulled up behind us and asked if my Daddy needed any help.  My father accepted it graciously.  As they changed the tire for my Dad, we learned that all the bikers were on their way to Sturgis, South Dakota, for the bike rally.  That explained why there were so many bikes on the road!   We also learned that two of these bikers were doctors, one was a cop, and the other two were teachers.  Wow!  What happened to lawless?  That's when I knew.  These Harley Davidson motorcycle riding men weren't bad.  Society and its stigma's were.

I fullfilled the vow I made all those years ago.  I married a Harley Davidson motorcycle rider.  I even have a Harley jacket of my own!