A few weeks ago during an Officer Certification Program, I was asked how I came to be where I was within the GWRRA organization. I started pondering, going all the way back to:
 
            One spring day in 1993, when at the ripe old age of 31, I wandered into the local Honda shop to purchase some items for my Kawasaki Voyager.  Yeah, yeah, I know, I was pretty young to be riding a touring motorcycle; but because I like to cruise many, many miles on my horse of steel, I didn't want to get saddle sore if you get my drift.  
 
            In any case, as I was walking through the Honda showroom, there was a black 1993 1500 Interstate on the floor just calling at me to come look.  It was like a magnet - I was pulled toward it.  Well, as you can guess, there was a salesman that just happened to be available, and badda bong, badda bing, a couple of hours later, I was the owner of that bike. 
 
            Well, needless to say, since as I mentioned I was completely drawn to this bike (and I still believe I was under some kind of magic spell), I didn't mention this to Angie.  I took her back to the Honda shop that evening, and after a few tense minutes, I told her we were the new owners of that bike.  Now those of you that know Angie probably wonder why I'm alive to talk about this, but she surprisingly saw the wisdom in my choice, and our lives with the Honda Gold Wing began.
 
            Not long after that purchase, I got a call from my local "Area Rep" as they were called then, inviting me to a gathering.  Now, I am not the "club" type of guy, but I thought I would at least check it out and maybe find out more about the motorcycle I just bought.  I went to my first gathering, and then another, and then another.  At the time, Angie was a cheerleading coach in her spare time away from work, so this was going to be a "just for me" kind of thing.  Well, lo and behold, Angie, after answering the phone to too many women who were calling and inviting me out to play, insisted that she needed to go and check these people out, especially the women who kept calling our house. Needless to say, after she met them and others in the group, it became a "we" thing, and together we discovered what a group of caring, fun-loving people GWRRA folks turned out to be. 
 
            One of the great things about this organization is that regardless of your age, your gender, your employment position, whatever, all are made welcome. We felt comfortable in taking our then nine-year-old daughter to any event, be it a poker run, a monthly gathering, a Chapter ride or even a fundraising dance event.  There seemed to be something for all ages; and, because Angie says I'm an overgrown child anyway, I fit right in. 
 
            Not even in the organization a year, we were asked to serve as Assistant Chapter Directors, and being eager to get involved, we said yes, and over the next 15 years we kept saying yes.  We have served as Chapter and Senior Chapter Directors, Assistant District and District Directors, and Region and Senior Region Directors.  And even though we took a much needed rest, we kept involved in not only attending the events in our District but in our Region and others.  To date, I am the National Coordinator for the Officer Certification Program, part of the Events Management Group team that puts on our national convention, Wing Ding, and Special Projects for GWRRA.  
 
            GWRRA offered so much in the area of Training, Rider Education, and Membership Enhancement, that we became exposed to the many facets of GWRRA, and through that, more Members and more friends.  All along the way, we have had wonderful teachers and mentors who offered us their wisdom, insight and history of each area of GWRRA.  We have been welcomed in too many homes to mention across the country, and even rescued more than once by Members who put our misfortune ahead of their plans.  I even have friends that I can call on a moment's notice and end up riding halfway across the country to eat BBQ!  (I bet you thought I was going to say ice cream.)
 
            We are now 17 years older, can't tell you the respective ages (guess why), and we have "been there and done that".  Now, that's not a negative, that's telling you that Angie and I have enjoyed our many, many adventures in GWRRA and we look forward to many more of "been there done that's" in the future.  We have attended more District, Region and National Rallies than most, but look forward to each and every one of them, as we know there is a new adventure just waiting for us along the way, or even better, another friend to meet. 
 
            Our most recent appointment to a position we have held before, District Director for Eastern Virginia, is a task that we will enjoy as we have all the others. 
 
            If you ever find yourself asking why should I join or continue to belong to GWRRA, just drop me an email at gwtgger@aol.com  and I'll give you about 70,000 reasons.....