I had made it, I was in California! I was living my dream-almost. But
that was OK, I was here. And the Beach Boy lyrics were right, from cars to
California girls, So Cal is different. Nobody walks in LA, except to the beach,
like I did, a whole three blocks. Even the ugliest Toyota wore custom wheels,
adults on bikes, and motorcycles. With custom paint, and loud pipes-neither of
them would work in Jersey. Too many cops there, here it was cool. But the one
thing missing was my R90S-I had lived my dream in a van! And with the great
weather, here people went outside because of it, not make excuses for it and
stay in, I was cage bound. But since no one I was with rode, it wasn’t so
bad. But I missed riding, and I longed for a helmetless ride along the
beach...but that would have to wait. Something was missing, and it was more
than to wheels.
I had spent the first few days at the beach, and was adapting quite well.
I had even eaten a dolphin free tuna sandwich with sprouts on it, and was
becoming laid back, must be the lifestyle. And the beach. But spending days
alone, I explored on my own, until Brennan and John got home from work, and the
day began over again. John ran every night on the beach after dark, and one
night I ran with him. Now California was a fly trap of sorts for weirdos and
religion-I had run past Synanon, and the shaved heads scared me, this cult was
dangerous too I was to learn. Moonies were around, as were Christians singing
about Jesus, and telling you how He loved you. But just one walk down the
Venice boardwalk was enough for even Toto to tell you weren’t in Kansas
anymore. So when John started to tell me about Jesus one night while wiping
sand from our feet after a run, I didn’t want to hear it. And when I told him
if he kept it up, I would put him in the hospital, he got quiet. But yet a seed
had been planted, I just didn’t know it, yet. The Late, Great Planet Earth was
a best seller, and many were talking about it. Hal Lindsay would help shape a
generation of new Christians with it, so when John offered me his copy, I took
it to the beach the next day and read it. It took all day, a-h-h the
distractions, but it raised many questions, and I started to ask John. So he
invited me to a Bible study, and I said yes. Me at a Bible study? Even Brennan
went reluctantly. And they talked about Jesus and Hal’s book. And they seemed
normal enough, and I listened. I even made eye contact with this beautiful
girl, we smiled back and forth at each other, and she talked about Jesus. When
John saw our flirting, he told me back off-she was a Christian and wasn’t
interested in what I was, but I assured him, I was up to the challenge. So
after they prayed, and it broke up, she walked across the room to me, and threw
her arms around me. See John! And then with a big hug exclaimed, “Isn’t Jesus
wonderful!” A-H-H! John was right, and the next day based on her
encouragement, and the hope of seeing her again, I took a Bible to the beach and
read it. Trying to use it to pick up girls! A new pick up line that didn’t
work. But something else was working inside me, and I decided to try this Jesus
thing. Still not sure what it was about, I saw something different in
Christians that I didn’t have, and I wanted it. So I told God, I‘ll check you
out, but I am still going to party and sleep around. His OK answer surprised
me, but now I found I didn’t want to. What was going on?
Through a friend Brennan worked with, I met John Vogt, another Jersey boy
who had come out in a friend’s van, and decided to spend the summer before going
back and starting his career with GM. We became good friends, his answer to
everything was “outrageous,” and we had some outrageous times together. He also
would ride back with me, halving the cost of the trip back. But as much as we
got along, I couldn’t talk to him about Jesus, he thought the religion end was
cool, but when Jesus came up, lost interest. So I didn’t, and although now I
had someone to travel with, I wasn’t alone, but was lonely.
It was time to start the trip back, and we would stop in San Francisco and
see BH on the way, a 1200 mile detour, but only 4 inches on the map. BH’s dad
had retired, and was a bishop in the Episcopalian church-here was a man who I
could talk to about Jesus. But he blew me off, he knew the old Mike too well,
or maybe just didn’t care. His type was the reason I didn’t go to church
anyway. Deterred, but not without hope I pressed on. After spending a day in
SF, it was onto Yosemite, where you don’t feed the bears, as a van next to me
learned. He left food out, and we awoke to a blood curdling scream when the
bear took the side of his van off. Such beauty I had never seen in Yosemite, it
made our next stop in Grand Canyon seem like just a big hole in the ground.
Carlsbad Caverns was cool, all that neat stuff underground, and we set off for
Texas. We would stay with some friends of John in Houston. My trip was 3/4
over and I had seen America, been to Mexico, San Felipe, realized my dream of
driving to California cross country, and became a Born Again Christian. A lot
for any trip, but that was only three weeks of it. I looked at the world
differently, and now with a passenger to to talk to, and a Bible to read, I
still didn’t know to pray. I was lonely, alone, not knowing that the Holy
spirit that had been with me, was now in me.
And without John in Santa Monica to ask questions to, my mind wandered. I
didn’t know at the time that bad company corrupts good morals, or that I had
been bad company. But I was glad for my new friend and travel partner. It was
a long trip across Texas in a van with no AC, and the heat at 100 degrees was
not the only thing that was hot, as I was to find out. California was as far
behind me as Jersey was ahead of me, where a job, career, family , and my
motorcycle all awaited me. But I still had yet to ride cross country on it, the
last part of the dream to yet be fulfilled. But that was coming, in an
unexpected way, and my life was to change forever in ways I never knew.
I was saved! Now, what was I going to do?
to be continued.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com