It may not be right to call then heroes, those whom we grew up following. They
were more normal than we expected them to be, had no special characteristics
that made them unique, but somehow we became enamored with them. The list of
them dying is growing every month, as age or life style catches up with them.
Sadly the next generation will know little or nothing about them, which saddens
me, so I would like to remember one man, a champion, but one who spent most of
his life in the back marker category, whose love of riding and racing was his
life, and he took it to many levels. He was half of the Mexican American
racers, Dave Aldana the other half, and I was fortunate to have seen him
race,never knowing the behind the scene story. Back then we were just kids who
loved to ride and go fast, and hung around friends who raced, who had the talent
and drive to ride fast in competition. We saw him in On Any Sunday, he was
Cycle Magazine’s Rider of the Year, had the number one AMA plate one year, and
won the Daytona 200 once, competing often. He was sponsored by Evel Knievel,
sponsored Honda’s flat track team for years. He rode Triumphs, switched to
Yamaha 2 strokes, and after racing, still supported flat track racing, maybe the
most American style of racing, dirt track, one that is overlooked today. Not a
big name like Malcolm or McQueen, but every bit a champion as they were.
Mention the nickname Burritto, two t’s, and you know whom I talk of, Gene
Romero. Who died from COPD last week at age 71. Like the song by The Eagles,
James Dean, “he was too fast to live, too young to die, bye bye.” I don’t get
it, but I miss him....
Never met him, never really followed
his career, but whenever he was mentioned, he was admired and respected by his
peers. And what a peer group that was. Gary Nixon, sawing off a cast to race,
Dick Mann, riding while broken bones were healing, Dave Aldana in his skeleton
leathers, a young and upcoming Kenny Roberts, Kel Carruthers, Jim Odom,
Agostini, Rayborn, and Jim Castro, some well known, some only from On Any
Sunday. Duct tape on the helmets and shoes, back when big money wasn’t the main
attraction. Who held jobs during the week so they could raced weekends. A man
who loved racing and understood it, on all levels. A look at the determination
in his eyes when sliding sideways at over 100 mph gives us some insight, but
without getting dirty and competing, you will never know. Two of his quotes
maybe say it best.
If you've seen the film On Any Sunday, you
remember the line. "I don't want to hurt anybody, but I just gotta get out
there...get third or come and visit me in the hospital, man, I dig
carnations.
Lying there
in a full body cast and asked how he was doing, he quipped, “It’s no problem,
I’ve had worse things in my eye.” A man like most people we know, or wish we
had known, and find it is too late when they are gone. A man who even before he
was a champion won the AMA Most Popular Rider of the Year Award. A guy you
would like to bench race with, introduce your kids too, and tell stories about
of way back when, when we were young. Where principals and ethics drove us,
where respect was earned, and inside a very small brotherhood, your nickname was
one of respect. Things are much different today...but of course, their
nicknames sanitary and clean. Too bad their reputation
isn’t.
In every group or subculture, there
are those who we hold up to a greater level, who we want to be like. In
Christianity it can be a pastor,worship leader, or a Billy Graham. Names we
know, and only know more about from headlines. Sometimes we put Jesus in the
same category, we can recite his famous quotes, follow him to the cross, maybe
even to the empty tomb. But then we go on our own way, doing our own thing,
with limited contact with him, mostly through a church service or fellowship. We
spend little time getting to know him. We find daily life boring, because
although we believe, we have no confidence in him. Our prayers sound like
begging, have no depth, and we fail to listen after we speak. We relate to Jesus
on our own level, never experiencing all he has for us. John tells us simply,
“we have confidence that he will answer all our prayers if we do what he asks
and obey him.” Do your prayers show a dependence on him, or are you
independent, he is your co-pilot? In our confidence are we bold when asking,
when telling or sharing, when praying for others, and acting in the spirit? We
can only be bold when we know someone intimately, when we can say without
reservation what he would say, and act accordingly. So many today sign off “in
his service,” or “in his name,” but are really just using his name in vain. Do
we really trust that all things will work out for us? Do we go to prayer
expecting or hoping he will hear? If his answer is different than your
expectation, how do you respond? When you quote the scripture “he became poor
so we can become rich,” are talking of things seen or unseen? Peace or pieces?
Jesus came to give to us abundantly,
more than we can expect. Yet we hinder him, looking to others when we should be
looking to him. And he is always there when we do finally turn to him. It is
us who miss out when we only know about him, only know what we have been taught,
or never experience Christian life as he desires. He even will help you with
your unbelief, even when you believe. Down to the least of us, who he
associates with, not wanting them to remain the least, but to bless abundantly.
And when we do it to them, we are doing it unto him. A side of answered prayer
we neglect....
I expect very few at my funeral, I
am not in it for the numbers or the greatness. I hope to see you in heaven
later. I once was in it for me, but Jesus showed me a better way. His way.
Sadly we only remember those we choose to remember when they are gone. Don’t
miss Jesus this time around, for the next time will not be so easy. Show love
and respect for others now while they can see it, while they can be blessed. I
never knew Burritto, and have learned more about him from obituaries. But his
friends knew him well. Jesus calls us friends if we keep his commandment. Do
you know him well? Your funeral will tell others how well, then it is too
late. Celebrate life today, spend it with Jesus. Not religiously, just with
him. Tell him about a ride, a dream, a problem. Listen to him, as you would a
friend. Bench race an afternoon away. On Any Sunday was a great movie about
racing and riding, don’t let it be your Christian epitaph.
love with compassion,
Mike