Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Lucky Charms

Many riders wear charms, carry rabbits feet,shamrocks, medals, ace of cards, holy cards, and riders bells for safety and luck while riding.  The most public charm or amulet is a rider bell dangling somewhere on a bike. 

For luck and protection and peace of mind, instead of 'lucky charms' I carry amulets and light candles in every Catholic Church I go in to.  (I lit a couple of candles in New Orleans for safe travels for not just us but for all).  I also meditate before my rides and say lots of Hail Marys during my rides.  

According to Wikipedia (so it has to be true) an amulet (Latin amuletum) can be any object but its most important characteristic is its alleged power to protect its owner from danger or harm.  This definition works well for me.  

I ride with several amulets that all have special meaning or importance to me.  I started with a ride bell and the legend of the ride bell is that it should be given to you by someone who cares about you.  You should never buy your own bell.  In my riding career, I've had a couple of bells and they eventually have fallen off my bike.  My current bell is on my key ring and I keep it with me always.  It was given to me by our dear friend Joe Petras, who passed away a couple of years ago.

St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers and my medal is extra special because it's dedicated to motorcyclists.  It's on my key ring too along with my Jack Daniels wooden nickel to remind me that I deserve a tasty beverage to celebrate my riding success. (in the evening after my bike is safely parked, of course)

Before leaving on our trip I received 3 amulets from very special people. The first is a Irish Claddagh that I wear around my neck along with 4 other charms, an R for Randy, C for Cathleen, a heart and a HD charm.  I wear these everyday I ride.  The Irish Claddagh is the symbol for love and friendship given to me by my good friend Denise Santos. The second gift, is from  Lisa Parker who gave me a tiny glass guardian angel that I keep in my coat pocket. As I ride, I like to visualize my guardian angel looking out for me.    

The third gift, is a challenge coin given to me by Kevin Ireland. Again, according to Wikipedia, a challenge coin is a medallion (usually military), bearing an organization’s insignia or emblem and carried by the organization’s members. Traditionally, they are given to prove membership when challenged and to enhance morale.  I ride mostly with men, who are supportive and proud of what I've accomplished both on and off the bike and this coin symbolizes confidence in my abilities. 

On this journey, I do have one lucky charm that is always with me and that's the love and support of my husband - he's my biggest champion.  I also have been thinking of all our friends and family a lot on this ride and I'm so grateful to have them in our lives.  Their support is invaluable to us, the amulets are really a symbol of all that is good in our life and that always carries me through.  


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