G'day Steve
my name is Rusty & today I found out about the Black Dog Ride to the Red Centre & I wish I'd heard about it sooner.
I would have liked to join in for an excellent cause.
I have been to the depths of the black pit of Depression myself & managed to shake the black dog off with the help of a loved one that didn't give up on me when she could see I really needed a shoulder.
I have just recently purchased another bike with the encouragement of me missus & I'm itching to go on my yearly solo ride like I used to. There is nothing like the feeling of the open road & meeting new people & sharing stories.
I remember a few years back after a long day in the saddle I stopped @ a park in Surfers Paradise on my way north. As I pulled into a coastal car park & parked, I literally fell off me bike in the heat onto the grass & a bloke with his young child came over to me to see if I was ok. I removed my helmet & with a smile I thanked him for his concern & we began to chat as his son admired my bike. I told him my story about the recent passing of my Father & that I was heading North in his honour just because I could.
With this I noticed a slight tear in his eye & he opened up to tell me that he had just had a terrible break up with his wife & that today was the first time he'd seen his child in awhile. We chatted for what seemed like ages about all sorts of stuff (I'd been through a divorce myself) while we watched his son play on the play equipment. As the sun was about to go down, I had to move on to somewhere further up the road & he surprizingly gave me his phone number incase I needed a place to stay on the way back through town.
He thanked me for the chat & it lifted my spirits also.
Life is good eh. cheers mate & all the best with a great cause..
Rusty.
