Today I attended the 28th Annual Cycle World International Motorcycle Show at the Rock Financial Showplace near Detroit. Let me state right here, I am not a “motorcycle” person but went to make contacts for work I hope to be doing. However, I was blown away by what I saw.
First, I arrived at 10AM. The doors opened to the event at 9:30AM and I struggled to find a parking spot. People were flocking through the doors and into the mammoth facility. None of this was cheap. It was five bucks to park and 13 bucks for each adult attending. Still, thousands were there.
Once inside, I saw display after display from the top motorcyle manufacturers in the world. 
There was Honda, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Victory, Kawasaki, and many, many more. Most had upwards of 30 different models on display.
I saw many merchandise vendors showing off the latest helmets, gloves, motorcycle attire, accessories, and everything and anything associated with the motorcycle “lifestyle.”
A big reason that this all amazed me is that all we hear is how bad the economy is, especially here in the state of Michigan where we’ve been in recession for at least five years.
Here were vendors and manufacturers galore being ogled by thousands of people either unemployed or facing unemployment. Still, they were there and from every sign I saw enjoying themselves immensely.
How “into” this motorcycle show were the attendees? When I parked my car, in the next row were three motorcyles that had been ridden to the show. Even though it was sunny, the temperature was a balmy 25 degrees, yet they saddled up and came in style to the show. That my friends says a lot about the spirit of America and especially those that love their motorcyles.
Maybe we can all learn a lesson from these people. No matter how bad things are, as long as we have the freedom to enjoy the things in life that make us happy, we’re still ahead of the game! Excuse me while I drop “Easy Rider” into the DVD now and start cranking up “Born to be Wild” in tribute.
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