motorcycle diaries

i was driving home from fuquay today along some country backroads. it was a beautiful day and bikes were out everywhere. seems like all of them are big harleys... none of the slimmed down old british cycles like i have an affinity for. i had passed a couple of these and was following another, not close, trying to give respect to these guys - basically up to the rest of the people on the road not to kill them. this guy i was following, we crest a hill, another bike comes up in the other direction. both of them, before they pass, calmly extend left hands down toward the yellow centerlines, palms to the other. a slow-motion seeming high five, were they a couple feet closer. just a hello, the way drivers of wranglers are supposed to wave with a couple fingers off the steering wheel. what got to me was the two people connected by this common ground. the guy i was following, some white dude, late thirties maybe, collared polo shirt the yellow-pinkish color of the opaque bottled fruit smoothie in my refrigerator, tucket and belted into khaki shorts and tennis shoes, riding a big harley davidson. the guy passing in the other direction? black guy, mid twenties, inside a long-sleeve blue and white bmx style shirt, long black pants, riding some garish japanese sport bike.

but it doesn't matter. they were just two guys out riding bikes on a sunny day.