Okay, got that out of my system. Honestly, a friend of mine is making Yoda cookies, so upon inquiry, I found out that today is a geek's holiday. (
She called it that, I'll have you know!)
And now, onto our own celebration. This Friday is International Female Rider Day. What does that mean? Not a whole lot, and yet very much, depending on how you look at it. It is the day the motorcycle community has established to recognize that, basically, there are women who ride motorcycles. It used to be a very rare thing indeed, so much so that we have--mostly in the past--been subject to the ridicule that our gender has had to endure whenever we've encroached onto traditionally-male territory. You'll still get it, from time to time. Mostly now it shows up when someone feels the need to attribute a certain type or size of bike as a
"girl's bike" (intentional pinkness, there.) You know the sneering tone that goes with that, I assume? Well, as always, that sort of attitude says volumes about the speaker, and nothing about the rider or bike in question. One might even be tempted to speculate on the speaker's need to compensate for something . . . but, I digress. ;)
Right. Female Rider Day. It's just a moment to acknowledge, and celebrate, the many and ever-increasing number of women who ride their own rides. Riding pillion takes a different kind of courage--one I don't have, personally--but this day is about the ones that grab the bars and shift the gears. So, how do we celebrate it? Mystery solved: WE RIDE! Together, separately, with guys or without 'em. In other words, just another day for many of us. But a reminder, really, that every day that we ride is a great day. It's also a day to remember those who went before us, such as
Bessie Stringfield or
Dot Robinson.
Women On Wheels® has its own way of acknowledging IFRD, too. There's a photo contest, and the entries will be judged at the International Ride-In this summer. Among the rules: the photo can
only be taken on May 6th. Some of us are planning a ride that will include some of the covered bridges northwest of here. Rose is plotting out the route; I believe she and Susan have already sent out invites to most of you. If you haven't received the info and want it, you know how to reach us! Also, feel free to do your own photo shoot if you can't come on the ride. We can only submit one photo from our chapter, but it would be fun to get together and choose it! The more the merrier--that's the whole point of women riding on International Female Rider Day.
Once we got to the Arboretum, however, the air was still and hot. Dru's bike braved the sun, but the rest of them huddled in the shade, along with their owners (and Dru herself). Happily, we discovered there is a driving path through to the lake & tower, so we were moving again.
