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Image12:  How Constance Boards a Bike

constance@spamcop.net

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a photo of my super muscular friend Nathan flexing his bicepts

First, you need a strong friend . . . Nathan surely fits that description . . .

a photo of friends lifting me onto the back of a motorcycle

Behind the scenes:  a bit tricky to make sure I'm positioned correctly . . . Mark [far left] and Nathan [on my left] . . . [I don't know the other guys!]  1994:  I was released from the hospital [after my Open Heart Surgery] two days previous . . . Mark's immortal phrase:  "Don't worry, they don't take out innocents" . . . two groups had a frictional existence that year . . . I have always felt safe at the AmJam . . . cultural stereotypes are detrimental . . . sure, there are individual clowns to stay away from but to assume the "class" of bikers has any universal attributes [especially with the negative implications] just doesn't work.

a photo of friends getting me situated on the motorcycle

Still behind the scenes:  more adjustments . . . we needed to tie me to the driver with a pair of someone's pants . . .

a photo of me all set on the bike looking like I'm ready to ride off into the sunset

The end result:  The AmJam:  American Jamboree of Motorcycles:  a huge fun biker fest every Memorial Day weekend up on the Cobleskill fairgrounds . . . we would camp and party for the weekend checking out the "Otherness" of the counter-culture, being Other and being a part at the same time . . . I don't know this guy's name but he was great . . .

a friend is carrying me toward the camera

Behind the scenes:  Nathan trucks me around . . .

a photo of my friends getting me settled on a motorized trike

Behind the scenes:  adjusting again . . . we decided to use an orange rope as a seat belt . . .

a photo of Nathan getting me settled on a motorized trike

Getting everything perfect . . .

a photo of me and the driver looking at the camera before we go for a ride

End result:  ready to cruise . . .

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