ISRA News

Things I Didn't Know

By Terry Malpass, ISRA #231

So, there I was. Saturday, July 17, 1999. 9:30 AM. Wondering if I was about to make a big fool of myself.

"If no one else does it, I will" That's what I told ISRA. Never in my life had I done anything remotely like this. I'm the loner. The outsider. What drove me into this insane situation? Beats me. There is some thing about ISRA that drives people to do things. I'm hooked on it. And of all the things in my life that I care about, ISRA ranks right up there in the top 10. if not the top 5. What was about to happen, I did not know.

I woke up that Saturday with a big knot of pain in my chest. I was totally stressed out. Over slept a bit as well. My big fear was that I would be the only one to show. My nights had been filled with nightmares of such things. There was not a lot on the agenda. Just some good BBQ and a good ride. Some of my "buddies' had suggested many traditional biker events. To me that didn't seem the way to go. Just a gut feeling. There are tons of those things every year.

Not everyone is a "hard core biker dude". I figure most folks are like me, they love the ride and the fellowship. They love bikes. No attitude.

And these are the folks that showed up. Glorious it was. When that first group of bikes pulled into Carolina Motor Sports, my heart lept. It had begun. They kept coming. Overall the total was over 100 bikes. For something that started out as a few guys from ISRA getting together, and with just a month of planning, this was spectacular. We had stepped foot into the real world. I am a part of that. It's exciting. ISRA made a name there. A good name. My chest had quit hurting by mid day. Of course, my name was called probably a couple hundred times and I didn't get to meet a lot of folks. Still, I was happy and folks generally had a good time.

Seventy-Six bikes were behind me when I pulled out on that first ISRA ride. That was a sight. And a responsibilty. With the help of several, including Highwayman, it was a safe, easy and fun ride.

Rolling curves. Beautiful countryside. A thundering mass behind me as though we were a great dragon winding our way though the forest. And my wife, the Red Headed Goddess, snuggled on back of my Royal. Life is good.

And the things I didn't know? Doesn't matter. It's the things I learned that count.

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A full write up and all the picture of the first annual Kinston Star-B-Que will in next months edition of the StarCruiser. Don't miss it!

And whether you attended it or not, the event patches are available and are sure to become collectors items. Just think of looking through your collection of patches with your grandkids and saying, "Yep, I was there. The first ever meeting of ISRA!" or even "No, I missed it that year. But I helped the ISRA get off the ground by buying one of these!"

Be a part of histroy! Help ISRA along by buying an event patch.