Random Conversations on the Road

“I want you to know– you just made that man’s day.”

I was just talking motorcycles with a local at a small town eatery.

We had struck up a conversation after our waitress had asked why I was in town. “Just riding my motorcycle all over Arkansas,” was my answer. Soon the highway numbers and forgettable town names were swirling like some alchemist’s formula. A family dining behind me had overheard the conversation when a particularly scenic highway was mentioned. “No, that’s 123,” the husband had chimed in.

I turned to me a smiling fellow wearing a fishing hat— pretty common attire it seemed near Lake Dardanelle. A town called Judea had been mentioned (pronounced Judy in Arkansas) and Highway 123 it seemed was particularly twisty.

“Have you ever been to Turner’s Bend?”

Had lunch there today! I had just posted a photo of my Ducati parked in front of the popular stop on the Mulberry River a few hours before. 

Turned out the local used to ride a BMW just like one I had. He shared his exploits traveling to Yellowstone and North Dakota and points west. And of course, closer to home in Arkansas. We talked for much longer than his wife was willing to listen.

“He had a stroke a few years ago,” she explained. “He had to stop riding.” It was apparent she was not as engaged in our two-wheel banter so I excused myself and thanked him for his insights.

After they left my waitress brought over my bill. She seemed to be smiling excessively for such a small check. That’s when she explained how much our conversation must have meant to the sidelined biker.

I want you to know, you just made that man’s day. They come in often. It’s been years since he suffered that stroke. He was slow to recover, but isn’t ever going to be able to ride again. Since then none of his buddies ever visit. It’s sad.

I guess you never know what you might run into.