A Dream about Motorcycle Waves

I dozed off this last Saturday morning after feeding the animals at 6:30am. I slept for a little over an hour, but when I awoke I remembered having a very vivid dream about riding and commuting with Max. It's amazing how a vivid dream like that can leave a lasting impression. The last part of the dream, and the most unusual portion involved me riding home after a day at work and approaching an intersection where I had to stop at a red light. At that intersection I met up with 6 other riders that had also arrived there at approximately the same time. Now that may not seem unusual, but the deal was (in my dream) that we all sort of knew each other at least from seeing each and every other one of us sometime on the roads of the city. But we had never met up with each other at the same time in the same location. Previously it had all been occasional chance meetings on the road in various places and various times. We had almost always waved at each other in the past. It was difficult and awkward trying to wave at everyone at this intersection at the same time. We didn't see each other every day, maybe less than once a week, but we sort of knew each other a bit even though we had never actually talked with each other and didn't know any names.

The Encounter. Let me describe the situation first and then give more descriptions of each rider.

It's an intersection where two four lane streets meet with a stoplight controlling the traffic. I am in the left lane going east and a lady on a Harley is in the right lane going east and already stopped at the light. To my left and proceeding south through the intersection are two men on sport bikes. To my right is a man on a Vespa proceeding northerly, but waiting to turn left after the guys on the sport bikes pass through the intersection. Also to my right is a lady on a small Honda who was in the process of turning right to go east. Then directly in front of me was a guy on an old BMW heading west but stopped at the light.

There were some cars in the area as well, but in my dream they were unimportant and I took closer notice of the motorcycles.

As we encountered each other at the intersection, we tried to wave at each other, or at least in some manner acknowledge each other. But some of us were in motion, some trying to execute a turn, others just stopped and stationary. But we all saw each other. All recognized each other, and all were surprised to each other there at that specific place in time. The guy on the BMW actually stood up and raised both arms in the air as if we had all scored a touchdown together.

I think it is funny how dreams create themselves from a combination of true real world experiences and made up fantasies. For example, in this dream, the intersection is very real and one which I passs through frequently. Some of the riders are real as well and people I sometimes see on the road, others are a fantasy.

The lady Harley rider.

She is a real person I have seen just a few times on the road. I am not sure why she made it into my dream, but maybe it is because I have some respect for her. She is relatively slender and possibly no more than 5' 3" tall. Her bike quite possibly weighs over 600 lbs. There are leather saddlebags with little leather frills that can blow in the wind. But the first thing I noticed about her is her blonde hair. Underneath a 3/4 helmet is beautiful braided blonde hair that reaches from her head clear down to the seat of the motorcycle. She wears leather gear and handles her bike very well. We nodded to each other as I pulled up alongside her.

The guy on the Vespa.

This guy is real, too. I have never talked with him, but see him frequently on the way to work. We generally see each other at another intersection, but in my dream he showed up here. He also wears a 3/4 helmet and also wears a gear jacket, but looks like he wears dress pants. I bet he has a tie on underneath the gear jacket an leaves an extra sport coat at the office. His Vespa appears to be relatively new. He is a careful rider and I have seen him out in cold weather, too. We generally haven't waved at each other, but it is mostly because of our relative positions to each other and the traffic situation when we meet.

The lady on the Honda.

This lady is not big either, but her bike is nowhere the size of the Harley. She is also real and I see her very frequently and know that she is a regular commuter in almost any kind of weather. I am guessing that she works at one of the aircraft plants. She wears a complete set of gear and a full helmet and handles her bike very carefully and very well. I almost always wave at her when I see her, but she has never returned a wave to me.

The 2 Guys on the Sport Bikes.

These guys are a fantasy, but I see people like them all the time. They don't wear helmets or gear. They appear to be relativey careful riders though even if they do "tear out" on occasion from a stop light. They appear to be strong and quite capable of handling a light and powerful bike. It is easy to imagine them with their girlfriends riding pillion with their arms around their waists and a big grin on their faces. They are generally friendly and return waves when I see them.

The Guy on the BMW.

This guy is a fantasy also, and my description of him may make him sound a bit like Jack Riepe of Twisted Roads fame. But this is my dream, and this guy isn't Jack Riepe. (Sorry, Jack) His BMW is old and not really very pretty or clean even though it sounds like it is in perfect running condition. The guy is middel aged and has a very weathered set of gear, maybe an older Aerostich suit. His bike is red, but faded in color. The guy has a grayish colored beard and wears a full face helmet. The unusual thing is that he has a large old red duffel bag strapped to the seat behind him. He almost looks like he has been on the road for hours and has just arrived in town. He is always enthusiastic about his waves as if every two wheeled rider on the road is a close friend of his.

Conclusion?

I gave up a long time ago in trying to analyze my dreams. I fully admit that my mind seems to work in strange ways sometimes, especially when it comes to dreams. I was just so amazed at how vivid the dream was that I thought it might be worth sharing.