New to Old, Old to New

Isn't it strange how new things that we acquire (not just material things either) become 'old hat' after a short while and when we find old things again, they take on new meaning? Other things, never become old and are always new, but that's for another blog...

No, in this entry, I'm talking about material things and how they can regain a hold on your heart. I have an old Harley that's been sitting in the garage for quite a few years. With my work the way it was, I just didn't have time to ride it, heck, I hardly had time to cut the grass! So there she sat, getting dusty, growing cobwebs and I would look at Bertha (she got her name quite a few years back) every time I went in the garage. She always, every single time, made me pause mentally and wonder what I was going to do with the old girl.

I figured that I didn't possess the skills to bring her back to life on my own, as it had been many a year since I've wrenched on a bike or car for that matter. The last time I had her maintenanced, I took her to "professionals" and boy did that COST me! lol So, not having that kind of money to throw at her, she sat and waited patiently for me to get up the nerve to give her a hand.

As part of my new job, I've been using my old skills and learning new ones with the scooters and motorcycles that come into the shop. Servicing my own scooters and Go-Ped, as well as the many others that I've touched, has re-awakened those skills and the confidence to be able to help Bertha breathe again. Well that and Chris egging me on... lol

So I sit in the garage this morning, Bertha's new battery cooking at the shop, an ignition switch in my hand (Oh yeah forgot to mention that I misplaced her key...) and a wiring diagram in front of me and I feel that she will live again shortly. I know there are going to be more hurdles in front of me to get her back to road worthy. Her tires are holding air, they don't show much if any dry-rot and the layers of dust/cob webs are being removed today. I can almost feel her smiling as big and wide as I do when I look at her now.

So, an old thing becomes new. Her 17,000 miles seem like a short distance when I think about her and remember that she's actually 19 years old this year. NINETEEN years old... geezus, last week, it seemed like a lifetime ago, this week, it feels like only yesterday...