Lost A Friend Today

I lost a good friend today.  When you go on journeys such as the ones I've enjoyed on my motorcycle you tend to get close to those who have shared the experiences with you.  Four years ago, when my first long trip on the Roadglide was being planned, I knew I was going to take in the first gathering of the Roadglide.org forum members as part of my 48 state tour of the U.S.  The event had only recently been dubbed Shark Week, a take-off on the meeting of the owners of Harley's "shark nose" model.  In search of a traveling companion, I had come across a golf club head cover that resembled a stuffed shark, so I decided to purchase it and strapped it onto my tour pack-mounted travel suitcase.  I decided that my companion was a female and obviously my female companion needed a name.  My bike had a name and the woman in my GPS had a name.  (I believe I have a mild case on anthropomorphism, a tendency to assign names to inanimate objects.  I say mild because although my motorcycle and GPS have names, my socks, underwear and drinking cup do not have names……OK, although the cup may occasionally be referred to as "Sippy" now and then, that does not necessarily constitute a name.)  One more name assigned to an inanimate object couldn't exacerbate the disorder that much I reasoned.  So she was dubbed Sigourney, a name that carries the noble meaning of "conqueror."  Originally intended to imply winning the intended cross-country rally that initiated the first trip, this seemed appropriate.  Plus it rhymed with Journey.  So my companion was assigned the unique name of Sigourney.  She even became my avatar on the internet forum that is the genesis of these annual gatherings.  Sigourney was a happy traveler, her tail wagging happily as we would slice through the air.  She would lift her head and take in the air as it rushed by.  She obviously enjoyed rolling across the country on the Harley as much as I did.

 Children in cars would wave to her as I passed by and parents would take their childrens' pictures with her in our journeys.  She would travel to  every shark week with me faithfully and the people at the event would greet her by name.  She was as much a part of Shark Week as donuts and firewood.  And she was on her way to her fourth event.

And then it happened.  I went to the bike today and she was gone - nowhere to be found.  Her tell-tale red bungie cords gone as well - missing without a trace.  Somewhere between Omaha and Milwaukee she took leave.  All of our traveling companions looked for her, but none were able to locate here. 

I am actually saddened by this.  How does one become attached to what are essentially a couple of pieces of cloth sewn together to protect a golf club?  I suppose it's something along the lines of Tom Hanks and his volleyball companion Wilson in the Castaway movie.  Psychologists probably have some explanation for this.  I don't really care.  All I know is my loyal companion is gone and the journey somehow seems a little bit less complete.  Here is the last known photo of Sigourney.  She looks rather good against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, don't you think? 

We will forge onward and we will have fun I'm sure.  But it would be awfully nice to have my inexplicably close inanimate companion along for the fun.