I’m not a Dad, nor are any of the other regular contributors to our site (at least not that we know of). However, I remember watching my dad when I was young and all of the bullsh*t that he had to deal with weekend-in and weekend-out. Most noticeably so were the times when we were on 50s and 60s. Between the blown motors, hagged clutches and the insane amount of time he poured into it, it was something I didn’t even notice when I was a kid. My thoughts were, well he’s my dad and I can’t do it, so it’s his job right?
It’s weird, when you’re young, at least when I was, you just get used to everything they give up to get you to the track on the weekends. Time, money, energy, heart. And the older you get, and the more that burden transfers to you, you realize how significant that commitment really is. We all know that classic moto cliche that goes something like, “it’s not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.” Dig deeper into that, and it resonates as one of the more true expressions that our community has ever stumbled upon. More often than not, that lifestyle is cultivated by a dad who’s been living that lifestyle since long before our ugly asses came about.
No offense meant towards the dads who may run by their kid’s baseball game on a Saturday afternoon, or slide in for a wrestling match here and there, but the life of a moto dad is unmatched. We’ve all seen or heard of the dad who works 60 hours a week, yet finds a way to get his kid to the track a few times during the week and somehow always manages to put it together for a weekend at the races.
What is it within these dads that make them so willing to sacrifice so much of their personal resources? Maybe they’re just gluttons for punishment, or maybe more than anything, this sport has touched them in a way that no other experience has. Maybe it’s the times spent on the way back from the track, super late on a Sunday night, when their little guys’ face is littered with the happiness and excitement that comes so naturally from a weekend at the races. Maybe all the sacrifices made aren’t really sacrifices at all, maybe to them, all the bs that they have to deal with to drag us around to the races, is just the cost of doing what they love with the ones they love.
Whatever it is that drives them to pursue this crazy sport, we just want them to know that we appreciate what they’ve done and continue to do for us. Here’s to you, ya old geezers.
