Now that the greatest race of a lifetime is over, we Cannonballers must ask ourselves what's next. Like many, the preparations and participation in the event took more than a year. It's hard to believe that after all of the countless hours and late nights in the shop trying to prepare and stock up as best we could, that the whole thing was over in 17 short days. For some the Cannonball was simply another tick in their chapters of motorcycle addiction, while for others, it was the ultimate one-time adventure. Others still are now looking for bigger and better challenges with their two wheeled mistresses. Personally, I think I would fall into the latter....after all, Key West to Anchorage (or vice versa) sounds pretty nutty. That being said, what does the future hold for me?
Well, firstly, I'm returning to finish up my last semester at Sam Houston State University in January. You may recall that I took the fall session off in order to participate in the Motorcycle Cannonball. Had I not chosen to do that, I would have graduated with my Bachelors degree in Business this December....but would have missed out on the real-world experience of a lifetime. It was a tough decision to take off time from school, but I know a chance like that doesn't come every day. Now that the race is finished, it's time to finish up my education.
A few posts back I had mentioned that I was in the stages of writing a book about my experience. With the remaining time off from school, I've taken the opportunity to get a good start on documenting the whole adventure, as taken from my days in the saddle and nights in the parking lots. I really don't know if anyone would be interested in reading it, and I'm not really concerned with trying to make money from the endeavour. My main reason for writing a book about the race is to document what happened, so that I can give something to my family and friends. A few folks have expressed interest in reading what I have to say, which is really humbling and means a lot to me. No one has really given me any pointers or advice on how to proceed with writing, so I'm just doing what I do best: going with the flow. It's actually turning into a lot more work than I originally thought....kudos and a ton of respect to novelists and writers who do this for a living. The most important thing is that I'm having fun with it and keeping those awesome memories fresh.
As of now, I cannot speculate as to a finishing date, or where copies would be available. Heck, there isn't even a title yet. I've had a few people tell me that they have recommendations or connections for a publisher when I get to that point, but any advice or pointers would be welcome. After all, I am a newbie with this sort of thing.
So, back to school, and writing a new book...what else? Recently, I also mentioned my new involvement in the Antique Motorcycle Club of America's Youth Program. If you haven't figured out by now, I'm really into vintage motorcycles.....actually, addicted is probably a better word. The opportunity to help get other young people involved is a really exciting one for me. Since I was asked, I've been trying to come up with a plan of attack on how to get other youngsters involved. Mrs. Brittney Olsen, Youth Director, has been wrangling kids into the club by raffling off and giving away vintage bicycles and motorcycle parts. Personally I think that's an awesome thing to do, and would like to expand that. If you're interested in donating old motorcycle parts or vintage bicycles to the AMCA Youth Program, please contact Brittney at her email: brit.amcayouthprogram@hotmail.com.
That about covers it for me...stay tuned for the next post about the future of Elizabeth.
Cheers,
Buck Carson
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