Hey kids,

I ride a motorcycle. In fact, right now, I have two motorcycles and they constitute the only means of working transportation that I own.

I really enjoy it. I love the fact that I do what few people do. Not only do I ride a bike, I ride it most everyday. I experience the seasons like few others do.

If you ride too, you know that motorcyclists wave at each other. It’s a way of saying, “Hey! You’re out here too!” I love doing it. It’s an nonintrusive connection. It never fails to feel good.

But there are riders out there who don’t wave back. Why? I don’t know.

A rider today rode past me and ignored my friendly gesture. A hard looking guy, his jacket bore a patch with the unmistakable emblem of the US Marines. He’s earned the right to snub the likes of me, I figure.

Sportbikes sometime ignore me on my cruiser. Harley riders ignore me when they recognize the Japanese design. Mopeds seem too surprised to wave back before I’m past them. Maybe they wave, but I miss it.

BMW vs. Harley. Dirt vs. Road. Two wheel vs Trike. Victory vs Gold Wing. I guess there’s some divisions among the bike groups. Sometimes they wave at each other, sometimes they don’t.

The only thing I see as a commonality in all the bikes is that there’s a person sitting on top. A person who has already decided to do something a large percentage of humans do not. They have exposed themselves to the elements, the dangers, and the hope no one hits them; and they have ventured out for whatever reason. Bike riders are generally nonconformist at heart.

As a nonconformist, a few may feel the resistance to be expected to wave because “that’s what people on bikes do.” Let them be.

Some may want to wave over hand, some under. Some like a head nod up, others down.

It really doesn’t matter. I posted on Facebook today: “Nothing annoys the nonconformist more than another nonconformist who does not adhere to his idea on nonconformity.”

Wave if you want to. Don’t worry if you get a wave back. Don’t wave when others wave to you if you don’t want to. Nonconform however you wish.

You can even ignore my urge to nonconform if you want to; you’re the rebel.

Day 24