. . .when it will be your time.
My 20-year old son went to New Orleans for a student gathering this weekend. He and another boy rode with a friend in his pickup. The young man took his motorcycle in the back of the truck.
Early this morning there was a knock at the motel room door. It was the boy's mom and dad.
My son's friend had taken the motorcyle out for a ride and was killed in an accident.
We are deciding now how to get the other boys back to school at Ruston. We will either makde the trip to go pick them up or arrange for a rental car. New Orleans is about 400 miles from us.
Of course we are relieved that Donny wasn't involved, but he is terribly upset and seems to be in a state of shock.
DonM

Don,
Whilst I feel for the loss of your son's friend I am unashamedly relieved that your boy is physically unharmed.

There are, as you say, constant reminders that life is too short. Family, friendship and love are often taken for granted but I will be speaking to each of the people important to me tonight just to tell them that I love them.

Big softie that I am I will start by telling you all, my synthzone family, that you are all very special to me.

Special thoughts for you Don, your wife and children.
Best wishes
Tony

People who have never been parents probably can't fully understand the worry and concern when kids become mobile and are out for extended periods of time. I do, and am so glad your child is OK.

I still ride motorcycles, and one of my kids just got one. I'm worried to death!

Here's to a SAFE future you you and your family.


Russ

Yep, that's a shocker. Especially for a young fella. Just found out, my niece's husband (policeman) was in a car chase. The car caused another car to crash into someone's house. Killed two people. Somebody up to no good caused two deaths.

When I was a young man, I worked at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, the nation's first unit, which was founded by Dr. R. Adams Cowley. I worked there for 6 years and at least 4 days a week someone came into the center that was involved in a motorcycle accident. The vast majority of them died within two days, despite incredibly heroic efforts to keep them alive. I vowed I would never allow my children own a motorcycle.

Unfortnately, four years ago, my daughter, who at the time just turned 30, decided she wanted to own a Harley, just like her husband. She kept it a secret from me for about 4 days. It was then we recieved a phone call from her husband who was at the Shock Trauma Center. My daughter took her first solo ride, slamed into a car head on at 35 miles per hour (the car was doing 50), vaulted over the motorcycle, slammed head-first into the car's windshield and broke her neck. She also broke her left arm in two places, her left leg, left ankle and all of the toes in her left foot. She was not expected to live.

After 10 days in Shock Trauma, and 6 weeks in Kernan's Hospital, she was able to return home. In the interim she has undergone 13 surgical procedures, including three nerve transplants. Today, she still goes to physical therapy 3 days a week, her left arm is paralyzed, and in all probability it will remain that way for the remainder of her life.

When you have children, even those that are grown and married, you always have those thoughts when the phone rings--are they OK. As for motorcycles, had I knows she had one I would have taken a sledge hammer to it, then taken it to her husband for buying it for her. Her husband still rids his during the warmer months, and I expect that one day I'm going to get a phone call about him as well.

Cherish every moment you have with your children.

Gary

I'm shocking about those terrible news. I know it is hard for a young man to loose a friend killing by an accident or any other sudden death. As I went to school there was a boy in my neighbour class. I knew him well because we often played together in the schoolyard.
Once a day after school on his way at home he went accross the street before the school. Suddenly - crying breaks of a car - a dull wham - that was all. I saw it but didn't realize it - I was about 12 years old.
Such things are really shocking! I've learned to live with those experiences. I hope your son will absorb it in an easy way, too.
Best wishes to your family, Don!


------------------
Greetings from Frankfurt (Germany),
Sheriff ;-)

Thanks guys. I appreciate your good thoughts and concern. Donny seems to be dealing with it pretty well.
I used to ride motorcycles myself in my younger days. I'm glad I quit.
Evidently there was no other vehicle involved. He hit a railing on an on-ramp to Interstate 10.
Don

Don and Gary....I truely sorry for both of your trauma stories...I know how hard it is to see someone close to you badly hurt or killed in a collision....I have been riding for many years and I still ride I have two bikes of my own and am about to buy more for rentals...Motorcycles are like Guns....you have to know what you are doing and understand that they are not toys...you have to have a good healthy respect for both to be able to use them correctly..here is a photo of my bikes with my two children...I'm
trying to teach them respect for the power that they represent.....again, I'm sorry for the lost friend of your son Don.and for your daughters pain, I hope that she recovers 100%

Hey Don,

Sorry to hear about your son's friend.Stay strong and I'll say a prayer for you and your friends.

Dan O

Thanks Dan,
We won't be making the trip to pick him up. They will drive the deceased boy's pickup to his parents' home in Alexandria, LA. Donny's girlfried will meet them there and drive them back to school. It will take her about 3 hours total, but would have taken us around 7.
If we would have gone to New Orleans, it would have taken the better part of two days.
One side note--we got both our boys cell phones for Christmas, on the Cingular family plan. They can always reach us, and know that no matter what, we are here to help them.
DonM