May 12, 2011
While stumbling around recently on the internet for various articles of interest (motorcycles, road trips, asparagus dishes, tattoo’s, home renovations etc), i stumbled upon a reporter that writes about the “biker lifestyle”. Specifically that of an “outlaw biker”. The reporter is Sharon Smith from Dallas Texas and writing for the Examiner.com. While Sharon is covering various aspects of the motorcycling community in Dallas specifically, it is a series of stories covering the lifestyle of bikers and specifically that of an individual biker, named “Country” that seems to have struck a cord with her readers.
Sharon and her husband, (who use to be her body guard…interesting story line there too), has an insiders perspective of 1#er Bikers, outlaw motorcycle clubs and the lifestyle they live. However one difference is that Sharon is an Ordained Minister and has a prison ministry with her husband. Having lived with the culture for over 20 years Sharon is helping sort out the fact from fiction in this society of “strange, ultra loyal and nonconformist“, as she states. I have to admit, that we are puzzled at times why many in our society are so enamored to know more about this lifestyle. One that has been labeled by society itself as “counter culture”, “anti-establishment”, “deviant”. I do understand (since we ourselves are in the motorcycle culture as a builder) the need and desire for a brotherhood. One where loyalty, oneness and a “do-it-your-own-way” philosophy takes precedence. So, i commend Sharon for trying to shed some light and understand on such a culture, but also in her attempts to explain to her readers something deeper…our need to “belong” to something bigger than ourselves. You can check out Sharon’s column HERE.
