By Marilyn Stemp
I know what youāre thinking; what does swimming have to do with biking? Well, itās just a metaphor that popped into my head as I gathered some new articles for Iron Trader News and if youāre willing to read along and give me a few minutes, Iāll explain.
Even if you donāt swim very much, everyone gets the concept of treading water. Itās the equivalent of expending effort just to stay in the same place; an innocuous sounding activity that can quickly become quite frightfully dangerous if it persists too long and you donāt take it seriously. Yes, treading water is nothing to scoff at.
And Iām here to tell you, Iāve lately wondered: is that what Iām doing, thinking I can stay where I am by starting up Iron Trader News? Iād like to say Iāve grasped the reins with gusto, taken on the moniker deservedly, and especially that I felt completely comfortable here, doing this. But to be frank, that would be overstating the truth.
The opportunity to edit IronWorks presented itself several times in the 24 year history of that title, and I demurred several times, feeling that maybe I hadnāt accumulated the credibility or traction to do a proper job of it. So, you might ask, why did I start Iron Trader News when IronWorks came to an end? What makes me think I can do this now? Well, thatās a good question.
Iād like to say that Iām a more accomplished rider. Iād like to think Iāve more thoroughly absorbed the culture and experienced the rigors of the road. Iād really like to think that after hanging around with bike people for this many years, Iāve learned to recognize authenticity. But the short answer, the one thatās closer to the truth, is this: being in the motorcycle industry is fun and I donāt want to give it up.
When bike people gather it always turns into a good time. Big event, small event, or no event at all; motorcycles equal fun. Anytime Iām in a group of riders there are people to meet, bikes to look at and stories to hear.
People who ride have the audacity to pursue something they love, even if itās viewed as impractical or frivolous by the mainstream. Bike riders can come up with many factors to justify having a motorcycle, most of them smoke screens that mask the truth. We say riding is more fuel efficient than driving a carābut itās really just more fun. We say upgrading our bikeās engine ensures thereās enough power to get out of a jamābut weāre actually after that torque-enabled grin produced by awesome throttle response. We say we modify our bikes for practicalityābut we simply want to be distinctive and pump the cool factor. These things might go generally unspoken, but we know them among ourselves ā and weāre loving every bit of it.
The same is true for the people who work in this business. The ones who are here for the long haul started as regular motorcycle riders and decided to try and earn a living (if not necessarily a fortune) doing something they loved. What a great compromise. And though my retirement account has undoubtedly suffered because of it, Iāve never had any regrets about working in motorcycling.
In the final analysis, the timing was just right for Iron Trader News. On reflection, I see its resurgence as akin to life as a motorcycle rider. Maybe you start out riding with a mentor or a few friends. Then you kick it up to riding with a group, embracing the security of a planned destination led by a road captain. Then one day, without any seeming instigation, you just go for a rideāby yourself, with no set route. Thatās where I am, I guess. Taking ITN for a spin, with no definite plan or destination, just the inner confidence that it will be a good ride. I have a map but Iām not setting the route. I also have a safety net in the form of the talented writers, photographers and editors who gave IW its solid personality and are willing to ride along with Iron Trader News. Itās good to have friends.
Itās a sense of adventure thatās propelling this trip. Is it challenging? Yes. Unpredictable? Yes, that too. But am I afraid? No, not at all. Because even if I tread water now and then, I know now that I can swim in these waters. And thatāplus someone on shore to toss out a life preserverāis all anybody needs to survive.
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