Bluebird of Happiness

I grew up on the back of a motorcycle. I remember going on poker runs with my dad, uncle and grandpa all over the state of Nebraska. I use to love the freedom I felt (once the initial fear of falling off would go away).

My little brother and I on our grandpa's Honda

I always wanted a motorcycle of my own but I had an eating disorder for over 20 years that prevented me from being able to lift a bike none the less ride one. October 2007, I was far along in my healing process, about to turn 30 and finally graduate from college. So to celebrate such great milestones in my life I decided the time had come to learn to ride. I took the weekend course that taught me everything from the very beginning and I got my motorcycle license. A week later I found the most perfect motorcycle, a 2007 Harley Davidson FLHT. The sales guy thought I was a little crazy going straight for the big bike and I told him I was looking for a bike I could grow into and be comfortable to ride everywhere. He just kind of chuckled and sold me the bike.

A couple days later they delivered my bike.

I told them to park it in the yard but no one said I wouldn't be able to back it out again... so here is a pic of my bike stuck in hole that I put her in when trying to get her to turn around because I couldn't back her up. hahaha... I had to call the Harley shop and have them come back out to get my bike out of the hole.

Anyway... once the hole drama was done I rode her every day. I finally felt free. I finally felt like I was home. I ended up naming the bike Bluebird of Happiness, Blue for short. When I was a kid I use to love the movie Follow that Bird, you know with the Sesame Street gang. Big Bird gets adopted by the Dodos and runs away back to Sesame Street. Well... anyway, there was one song I would listen to over and over again that Big Bird sang when he was captured by this carnival and was painted blue and called the Bluebird of Happiness.

When I listen to this song now I can't believe how true this song is to my life and how I felt. There was always hope even in the darkness. So it was fitting for my new Harley and new chapter of my life. I believe in using your past not as something to be ashamed of but something to help you remember just how far you have come.

Here is the first picture of Blue and I together.

photo by: Patricia Mitjans

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