legendary kindness

Derby lad

1986. I'm in Iowa on my decade old rice cooker. In those days, a decade was an old motorcycle. I pulled over to adjust, and as I pulled back on to the interstate, I drove over something that flattened a tyre. I walked quite a ways, and asked at several shops before I found a place with a proper tyre.

As I stood looking at my bike, not knowing the first thing to do first, and having even less tools, a man a bit younger than I am now pulled over and gave me a ride in his pickup. We went to his house, where we hooked up a trailer, and returned to collect my bike. His wife had half a leg she'd lost in a motorcycle crash. She still rode. She made us dinner, with his help. His kids were a bit older than I.

Dad had a well equipped garage, and proceeded to change my tyre. Then he proceeded to rebuild my gearbox, with a detailed mechanical discussion of various sorts of gearboxes, what to keep an eye on, etc. They put me up in a comfortable bed, and in the morning said I was welcome to stay longer.

The road beckoned.

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Killamarsh - NE Derbyshire

Today, I enjoyed another dose of legendary kindness.

Dear Mark & Dawn Hodkin,

My love to you and yours.

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Dawn,

We luv your daughter. She's well, at least the bits WE've not yet recycled.❤️ Those bits we entrust to your good keeping.

I am visiting for this.🙏

Brandi