Up & Coming Weekly

June 18, 2019

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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20 UCW JUNE 19-25, 2019 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM JUNE 28-30 • FREE- DOM BIKE RALLY at Galot Motorsports Park, 555 Dragstrip Rd, Benson. Three-day pass $35. Drag Racing, bracket races, vendors, music, bike show, blessings, games and more. The rally benefits Freedom Biker Church, Bikers For Christ. Call 919-894-1662 for more information. JUNE 28-30 • THUNDER IN THE SMOKIES SUM- MER MOTORCYCLE RALLY 2019 at Maggie Valley Festival Grounds, 3374 Soco Rd. Check out the largest rally in Maggie Valley and the great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. All bikes and ages welcomed. Join us at the Handle- bar Corral for a rumbling weekend where thousands of bikers roll in for the busiest motorcycle weekend in town. There are top-notch performers, tasty treats and an enthusiastic crowd. Win $1,000 at the Bike Games or win $1,000 at the Bike Show. Stock up on gear with a great selection of vendors. There are also tour rides on the Blue Ridge Parkway and much more. For more information, visit www.handlebarcorral.com, email handlebarcorral@aol.com or call 828-246-2101. JULY 20 • 17TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS IN JULY TOY RUN starting at Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd., rain or shine. Registration at 8 a.m., departure at 10 a.m. $15 and an unwrapped toy per rider, $10 per passenger. All participants receive an event T-shirt, event pin and lunch provided by Texas Roadhouse. There will be a presentation to Duke Children's Hospital, a contest, prizes, raffles, food and live entertainment. For more informa- tion, call William Winford at 910-426-5082 or 910-261-4601. Hosted by Win- ford Foundation, in partnership with Walmart Transportation Office 6840. JULY 22 • MELISSA GRADY BENEFIT RUN starting at Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd. $15 per bike, $10 per passenger. Free food, music, raffles and door prizes. This event benefits Melissa Grady's family and celebrates her life. For more information, visit FortBraggharley.com or call 910-864-1200. AUG. 10 • 3RD CRUISE TO THE COAST Hair-Matthews Post 32, 3814 Legion Rd., Hope Mills. Kickstands Up 9 a.m. $5/donation, food, drinks. Hosted by American Legion Riders Chapter #32. Email anthonycprewitt@msn. com or call Anthony C. Prewitt at 910-583-3557 for details. AUG. 30-SEPT. 1 • BULL CITY RUMBLE 15 VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE SHOW 1007 West Main St., Durham. Noon. No admis- sion fee. Bike entry fee $7. Find out more at www.tonup.bigcartel.com/bull-city- rumble.com or by calling 919-687-6969. FROM THE ROAD Why do we thrill-seek? by JIM JONES JIM JONES, Motorcycle Enthusiast. Comments? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910- 484-6200. I just returned from a motorcycle adventure ride that was so challeng- ing I actually feel shorter. While most motorcyclists were heading to Rolling Thunder, a few crazy guys were traveling across Virginia and West Virginia on what I was told would be "a pretty easy off-road ride with mostly grav- eled forest roads." I was thinking Jeep trails, which for the most part it was. It's the parts that are not Jeep trails that make "adventure riding" adventure rid- ing. Little did I know I would be experi- encing narrow trails almost like jungle canopy, red-clay slippery mud, 400-foot drop-offs and many water crossings. At moments, I asked myself, "What am I doing this for? I'm tired; I hurt. Should I sell my dual-sport bike, get me a nice traveling bike and stick to the roads?" Getting stuck in what I will call mud quicksand took us two hours to get out of and required us to build a makeshift bridge in the middle of nowhere. My wife watched my exploits on Facebook and said to me, "There is no way that looks fun at all." Every night, I agreed with her. Strangely, the day after I got back home, my body was in full-on travel mode. I wanted to get back on that bike and ride. Then I found myself wondering what my next trip would be. Crazy, right? Most of my life has been in and around military, firemen and police- men. All of these jobs are high-risk jobs. Their friends and family worry every day if they will get back home. They, in turn, go to work every day and dream of some sane job doing some- thing safe — but they choose to get back on it. Thrill-seeking and risk-taking var- ies. For some, going to a scary movie is enough. For many, it is jumping on a motorcycle and going for a ride. For others, it is parachuting or tickling a bear's belly. So, where does this moti- vation come from? The amygdala is the answer. It's a small, almond-shaped set of neurons in the brain's medial temporal lobe, which is kind of the center of the brain. Here, our mind processes a convergence of inputs of chemicals the body produces. These chemicals are generated based on what our senses tell our mind, and the body produces respondents. If danger is perceived — real or not — it triggers our instinct to respond to the situation. Part of our instinct is stimulated by our body's ability to produce adrenaline, endorphins, sero- tonin and dopamine. Together, they produce substances that stimu- late positive and even euphoric feelings. Our body gets high from accomplishing or sur- viving something. Adrenaline is the chemical that gets us ready for action when we perceive danger. It is that moment that often defines suc- cess or failure. Endorphins keep up our endurance. It is the runner's drive and ultimate will to keep going when their body tells them to quit or walk. Serotonin feeds brain cells related to mood, sexual desire and function, appetite, sleep, memory and learn- ing, temperature regulation and some social behavior. Serotonin aids a wide variety of tasks in the body and is often called the "happy chemical" because it works for our wellbeing and happiness. Dopamine comes up when we are attempting to accomplish a challenge. It's that decision-making process that says "Hey, let's go jump in the ocean, feed sharks and take pictures." Together, these chemicals are highly addictive and connive to drive us to seek out that thrill or scary challenge. Thrill-seekers often operate in unpredictable situations. Thrill-seekers are usually not good with being delib- erate, focused, concentrated or patient. They overcome these things by being prepared, training for situations, doing mental rehearsals or having an excel- lent medical plan. To keep us in check, the brain's frontal lobe acts as an internal control panel that gives us cognitive skills like problem-solving, language, judgment, sexual behavior and emotional expres- sions. It gives us our personality and ability to communicate. It is also the part of the brain that tells us, "Danger. Stop. This is not safe." I deduce that the most signifi- cant challenge for the thrill-seeker is between their amygdala and frontal lobe. They have to calculate the amount of risk, gain and loss they're willing to give for their next adventure. If there is a topic you would like to discuss, email motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE! At moments, I asked myself, "What am I doing this for?" 4624 BRAGG BLVD. $1 .00 OFF COLDEST DRINKS IN TOWN!

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