Writing, Community, and Flat Track Racing

 

 When I started  thinking about what type of creative activity I wanted to get into in retirement earlier this year, I initially thought about music. I have sung with my local community Chorale, and played a little keyboard and guitar around the house, I've even written a few songs back in the day and used to harmonize with my late husband Joe who was a great singer and guitar player. A friend was getting back into playing and producing music, and about this time I reconnected with a friend from high school who has been playing guitar, singing and writing music for years. I never got past the thinking stage though.
     Somehow the idea of writing began to percolate in the back of my mind and I ran into a guy I know through some mutual friends who is a professional blogger and motorcycle journalist. I asked if I could read some of his writings, because he seemed really enthusiastic about what he was doing. He gave me his info and I started reading his work (see ehorseman.blogspot.com). I've never had much interest in motorcycles, even though both my brothers and two of my nephews ride, but this storyteller was able to use his words to connect me to the people on the bikes and the flat track racing community.
     In my lifetime I have  not followed sports outside of Phillies baseball and Eagles football, and the only races I've watched have been the Preakness, which is run in Joe's hometown of Baltimore, and maybe parts of the Indy 500, especially when Janet Guthrie broke into Pro racing. So the fact that I now have watched at least ten AMA Flat Track races this season, know the difference between Singles and Twins, and recognize the names and faces of a lot of the racers and am even planning to attend an event within a few hours away next month surprises me. Reading and talking about these people with the guy who first let me into this world has allowed me to become connected to a racing way of life I would not have wandered into on my own.
     I started writing my blog about the same time I started watching Flat Track. If you've read my stories so far, I've shared random thoughts and memories of my life. So why am I writing about American Flat Track today?  There have been riders injured since I started watching, but I had only heard about it after the fact, thanks to the work of AMA Pro Flat-Track Rookies Class of 79 and Friends, an organization that financially assists injured riders through fund-raising among the AFT community.
     This past month though, it seems there have been more accidents and injuries. Two weeks ago was the first time I saw the red flag come out while I was watching a race. I knew it had to be serious by the length of time it took to get the rider off the field. Unfortunately the young man succumbed to his injuries nine days later. Another racer who has been successful for years is battling back from a serious injury after a recent accident, and just a few days ago I saw the red flag come out again and two other young riders were taken out in ambulances. Fortunately they have been released from the hospital, but I guess time will tell if they'll be able to resume riding.
     After every injury and in the time of loss, I see the AFT family join together in supporting one another. Though they all compete on the raceway, in the world outside the race they are all connected in a way we folks outside can only observe and appreciate.  I guess that is what I'm writing about today. No matter the community, we all have our connections that sustain us- family, faith, recovery.
Let's all take care of  and love one another.
     Go out there and have a good day!