When I arrived in Anchorage, I found the following email from Chenty waiting for me…
Not only will it give you another person’s perspective of the accident and the conditions we rode in on the Dalton Highway, but it also has some very sound advice for me, and I daresay, us all…
Chenty is the author of a very insightful book that is due to be published later this year, and I am sure it will be very successful, and well worth reading…
I regard Chenty as my “catalyst for change”, and when this is all over, I will write about the day in Thailand, that with her understanding and advice, I felt a shift in my life that allowed me to start the long climb out of the mental abyss that I had been trapped in for so long…
Perched behind Trevor, Chenty endures the long rides we make, without being able to see any of the tricky bits we have to navigate through… This for me would be well nigh impossible… It just goes to show the complete trust she has in Trevor…
Here is the mail from Chenty…
“Ronnie,
Just wanted to say how proud I was of you out on the Dalton, and how you handled the whole thing. Â I know it must of been hard for you, taking such a big spill on the Big Fella.
These bikes have become our companions on the road and without them to carry us, we would not be able to achieve what we have, so we have a very real, deep respect for them.
Yes I know they are only bikes made of metal but somehow they have become living, breathing creatures when we ask so much of them, and when we damage them we blame ourselves. On the Dalton anyone of us could have been down, on the back of Trev I was urging him to throttle out of the slides, (he hates that shit…!!) I could feel him tense up and slow down every time the bike took a wrong turn… It was nerve wracking, but I willed him and Big Red to push through, praying furiously to keep us all safe.
I’m never frightened or nervous myself, even though I know I may take a tumble, but I just trust that what will be will be, and let go… I really dont have any control over this situation anyway, being on the back…!!
When you went off into the Tundra to take some deep breaths, I could feel the sadness and annoyance in you that you had hurt the Big Fella, but Im really proud of you because you came back, allowed me to give you a hug, then another tight squeeze with a few tears, and then you let go, deciding that that was that, and you must ride on, access the damage and get to Wiseman…
I didn’t want to give you too much sympathy because I know what that does to me, permission to feel sorry for myself and there was no time for that… It was a cold, wet and miserable day, and we had to push on. Â We were just so lucky to have that truck that stopped and took your luggage all the way to the cabin for us. Â
It is strange what life throws at you… Â I was thinking what a perfect morning we had had with our dip in the ocean, finding the treasures left behind by others, and you making your turnaround point and how symbolic that must have been for you.
This was indeed a very big occasion and Im so happy you could share it with us… I would of hated the thought of you reaching this milestone and having no one else there to realize your achievement.
After a couple of pictures of the ribbons, back to the bikes, a final call to Patricia before we set off, all seemed so perfect.
It would seem that more lessons awaited you as they always do. Â Perhaps this lesson was about receiving and allowing others to help you. You had become this one man band, capable of taking care of yourself and the Big Fella around the world, not needing much from others, but how were you on being able to receive…?
Was us being here with you a step towards your re-entry into being with others again and re-adjusting into what that means to be with people, as you come to the end of your journey into finding yourself. Â In order to find yourself, you first have to detach yourself from all others, and then once you can do that you are able to be with others again, but with a very different perspective… First you must know yourself, and this has indeed been your journey… Finding Ronnie…!
When Trev and Mark picked the Big Fella up as you stood by and watched, I could feel you looking on, torn between doing it yourself and letting them do it for you… Then Trev struck him up on his stand and fired him up, and you were so relieved that he was ok.
It just went on from there, having to let people help you. Â Trev said you said to him,”you guys go on, I’ll be fine, Ill catch you up”. Â This just shows how you like to do things alone; don’t want to inconvenience others, or have them wait for you; so used to being self sufficient…
But no man is an island and sometimes we need help. Â Well you and I both know there is no way we would be leaving you alone even if you insisted…!!
That’s the thing about good friends, sometimes they would rather risk you being pissed at them for not following your instructions, just to keep you safe. Â Then as we headed back to Wisemen again, you had to receive assistance with your kick stand and balance… You did, gracefully…learning to let people help you. Â Once back at camp, we insisted you sit and put your foot up and let the guys fix the bike.
Chenty with Trevor and Mark at Prudhoe Bay… She is an integral park of our “Posse”, keeping us on the “straight and narrow” when we threaten to stray off it… Which is often…!!
That must of been hard for you hearing all the bashing going on. I watched you as every loud strike from behind the cabin where Trev was repairing your pannier, made you wince. Nevermind the helplessness you felt not be able to do it yourself, but you trusted them to do the job and you let go as you knew you must.
Then came the beating on Big Fella even for me that was hard to watch and even harder to watch you watching…
This is big for you where it comes to the Big Fella especially… I half expected you to go into a panic attack just because you couldn’t do it all yourself, but you didn’t… Agreed the smokes were going fast and furious, but that was ok too…!!
At the end of the day, you and the Big Fella survived the Dalton and more importantly, you Ronnie, learnt to receive as sometimes we must let others help us, even though we are amazing at taking care of ourselves, there is balance in both. Â To receive feels vulnerable, weak, like we cant do it ourselves, but really its about letting people in, we are not made of stone…
Congrats buddy, its always a privilege riding with you, and you have indeed achieved the very thing you set out to do… We are a rare breed, who manage to have the courage to set our goals so high.  You are light-hearted and very funny, and are always there to give a helping hand, concerned about me and how I’m doing… You’re old fashioned that way, but its nice. Â
The ride after dinner a few nights before, from Coldfoot back to Wiseman, (after the big prime rib dinner) before this all happened, was the best…!! I’ve seen you…!! You were so happy that evening…
Remember that moment in your life, and how you felt, and let it be your guide…
Love and hugs,
Chenty”
Thank you Chenty… Having you, Trevor and Mark there made the ride back possible… In more ways than just the physical… I felt you willing me on, and that spurred me to do what a few years ago, might have been impossible…
Ronnie – thank you for letting us share all your highs and lows over all this time. Many thanks! Murray… Brisbane
Thank you Chenty for understanding and encouraging our friend. I look forward to the day we will meet when you and Trevor tour around Australia – you have a place to stay in the city of Sunshine – Brisbane.
Thank you again.
Listen to your Guru…..Chenty knows what she’s talking about. Its fantastic to know that you have made such wonderful friends and I know you will always remain in contact with them.
Wow!!!
As Chenty mentioned – we all have a journey to follow in life and yours was definitely to find “Ronnie” again…enough said…
Chenty, thanks for these wonderful words of inspiration, for my “other Brother, from another Mother”, we need more people like you on this earth.
Take care – all of you
BIG kisses
K
But are you going to pay your speeding tickets for breaking the laws? Or just skip out of the country?
Hiya Bill…. No… Girls skip, men walk out casually and dare anybody to stop them…!! R.