It’s not about who is gone but who is left

Today is an especially hard day for two reasons:

1. This is the two year anniversary of HeeJun Kim’s death.  Although the past two years have flown by for me, as I’ve gotten closer with Erica, I’ve learned how her life has slowed down to a crawl.  HeeJun was so strong in his faith that he could only imagine going to a better place after leaving this world.  Now he’s in a better place but what about Erica?  The more I think about death, the more I realize it’s not about who is gone but who is left.

2. We lost another Charlotte rider this weekend.  RIP Rob Gette.  The following details are from various sources on the internet:

A North Carolina man died Saturday following a chain-reaction crash during the WERA Cycle Jam motorcycle race at Virginia International Raceway, according to a Virginia State Police news release.  Robert C. Gette, 38, of Charlotte, N.C., operator of a Suzuki sv650, died at the scene.
When Gette swerved to avoid a Yamaha 250 that lost control and overturned onto the track coming into Turn 14 at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday, he lost control and overturned as well, according to the release.  As Gette was getting back onto his feet, he was struck by a Moriwaki 250, which was unable to avoid the downed motorcycle and its rider.  The Yamaha was operated by James Bonner of Coopersburg, Pa. Bonner was transported by ambulance to Danville Regional Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.  The Moriwaki was operated by a 12-year-old boy from Sutton, W.Va. The boy was flown to Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina for treatment of serious injuries, the release stated.
All racers were wearing helmets and full race gear. Motorcycles in the race typically reach speeds between 60 and 80 mph.  No charges will be filed. Senior Trooper T.C. Comer investigated the crash.
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing Inc. wrote an online tribute to Gette at maps.wera.com. The online comment stated the other two riders are expected to recover from their injuries.  “Condolences go to Rob’s family and friends – he will be missed by his WERA family – Godspeed Rob,” WERA stated on its website.

In the photo below, you can just see part of Rob’s face but it’s clear how his eyes are smiling.  He’s in full gear and looking into his son’s face.  Is he smiling because he’s about to ride?  Is he smiling because he’s holding his son?   Is it both?  This is a man who not only made motorcycle riding and racing his main hobby, he made it his career with American Honda.  It’s obvious that he was passionate about the entire sport and industry as a whole.  Would his eyes smile the same if he didn’t have motorcycles in his life?

He lost his life this weekend doing exactly what he loved.  Going back to the title, it’s not about who is gone but who is left.  Where does that leave his very young son?  What about the family and friends that he leaves behind?  In addition to Rob’s family, what about the 12 year old boy that unfortunately was in the wrong place at the wrong time?  How will a 12 year old boy carry the weight of having killed a man for the rest of his life?

This bring us to yet another question.  What would it take to stop riding motorcycles?  It seems that this has been an especially bad year for not just accidents, but life altering accidents like near paralysis, permanent brain damage, and now ultimately death.

My friend Nelson recently commented that my blog has become less about riding motorcycles and more about food.  I suppose it’s true.  I haven’t spent much time on the bikes as in years past.  I could say it’s because of the extreme heat or maybe without a garage, the bikes are harder to get in and out.  Whatever the reason, life goes on with or without riding.  Not to minimize my two wheeled hobby because it has brought more people and joy to my life that I could ever imagine.  I would never have my beloved J without having met him riding the same model bike.  Many of my closest friends now share the two wheel bond.  Unfortunately with the news of another tragedy, I know many of us are questioning our choice to continue riding.  The answer today may not be the same answer tomorrow or the next.  Only time will tell what the final answer will be.

RIP HeeJun Kim.  RIP Rob Gette.