Boot-scoot'n boogey

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Ah, to feel the breeze. To see the landscape rush by up close and personal. To smell the scents of early spring blossoms. These are but a few of the joys of motorscooter riding. That, and the 67 mpg in these days of $4.75/gallon gasoline.

We've had motorcycles before. Plenty of them. I had become adept at making all four appendages shift, brake, and accelerate on cue and enjoyed the open road. But after a hiatus from motorcycle ownership, Gary decided we needed a step-through motorscooter. More storage. easy to ride. Automatic. Low enough for my feet to touch the ground. And great gas mileage. Found it. Bought it. Now we ride it.

I've always been entertained how motorcycle riders seem to have their own greeting. Normally, as bikers pass in opposite directions, the left arm is extended obliquely downward, hand extended. It says, "Hey, I'm cool and so are you." I wondered if my little red scooter (which can still do a brisk 85 mph, so I'm told) would be worthy of such acknowledgement.

Yesterday I had occasion to ride a good distance to a doctor's appointment. It was a beautiful, warm day and lots of motorcycles had left there covers behind in the garage. Sure enough, no matter what kind of bike, a Hog, crotch-rocket, or decked-out Goldwing touring version, that arm dropped in an upside-down salute as they saw me coming. I smiled every time it happened, ponytail escaping the helmet and flapping in the breeze. But I kept forgetting the secret handshake. There I was, waving back at them like a princess on the way to the prom. I wonder what they thought. Probably, "Sheez. That's a girl for ya."

Bikers have this distinct way of acknowledging each other. Surfers do the "hang 10" thing. Snowboarders and skateboarders greet each other with "Duuude." High school girls shrilly shout the name of a friend and join in a big embrace. Cool guys shake hands and do the shoulder-tap, back-slap half-hug deal with the other hand.

The point is, we all have a way to identify ourselves. To the on-looker, we can tell a lot about who someone is by simply watching them. Their true identity is revealed by their actions, gestures, attitude, and the way they carry themselves. All this combines to make a good impression--or not!

We are children of the King. We are royal heirs. We are given all the resources of the kingdom to be kind, giving, unselfish, forgiving, thoughtful, loving, joyful, persevering, hopeful. Do I act the part? Is this what people see when they look at me?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

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