The first week of August is bike week in Sturgis, South Dakota. I know this because every highway running north out of Nebraska is filled with motorcycles doing their best to beat everyone else there. Just the other day as I was traveling to Scottsbluff to pick up some four wheelers that had been up there being worked on, I was reminded that it was bike week by the two impatient motorcycle riders who were bound and determined to make it there just a little faster than everyone else. I got to thinking, I bet their guardian angels look a little strung out after taking care of them all day. Their hair is probably standing on end like they stuck their finger in a wall socket, they have bloodshot eyes with bags underneath them from the lack of sleep and constant state of anxiety that they are living in. I don’t know if the Good Lord allows cigarettes in heaven, but he might make an exception for these poor souls.
I wonder if St. Peter looks down and see’s all of the new ways that we invent to try and stand before him and shakes his head in utter disbelief. The poor guardian angels are pulling their hair out as they watch those they are trying to protect do things like weave in and out of traffic and pass semi trucks with oncoming traffic on a curve. The angels are also puzzled as their thrill seeking clients sign up for things like discount bungee jumping or skydiving from the guy who also owns the funeral home in town. I think that the angels who watch over cowboys are missing a thumb on their dally hand and have a sharp knife handy most of the time to cut us out from a wreck when we manage to get ourselves into one on the daily.
Only the Lord himself knows how some of us here on earth have lived as long as we have. I have to wonder if there is a complaint department filled with letters from burned out guardian angels requesting a transfer from the blue collar, biker and cowboy department to the librarian and accountant division. It seems like those of us in agriculture and many of the trades find new ways to stretch the limits of our safety every day. Why would we call a professional tree trimming service when we have a loader bucket and a chainsaw? Theres no need for a safety harness as we work on things at heights when the wind is blowing, darn things will just get in our way. Horsepower and torque are things that we don’t believe you can ever have too much of. That’s why there are guys out there that have made motorcycles that are powered with a V8 motor. Blue collar guys have this idea that because we were given ten fingers and two arms and two legs that got built us with spare parts. We forget that pain is a real thing and its not a lot of fun to be in.
Maybe this week lets give our poor guardian angels a vacation that they have worked so hard for. Let’s not be the do it yourself home electrician or take our chances with gas station sushi. Try reading a book in a recliner instead of experimenting with your homemade fireworks hobby. When the Lord commanded us to be a light for others, he didn’t mean to set yourself on fire burning the trash pile with a can of gasoline. That’s all for this time, keep tabs on your side of the barbed wire and lets get through this week with all of our appendages intact. God Bless.