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28 UCW JUNE 1-7, 2016 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Just like an animal that survives in the jungle, because of its instinct, so does a good motorcyclist develop their instincts to make split decisions to survive on the road. In T.D. Jakes' book, Instinct Just: The Power to Unleash Your Inborn Drive, he states, "Fear teaches you to be cautious, careful and conscientious. It also forces you to be creative, compassionate and calculating." A few weeks ago, I was riding to Chapel Hill and noticed something that did not look right ahead of me while on I-95. It was a truck moving furniture with some items blowing out of the back. To a car, this stuff would be pretty non- threatening, but to a motorcyclist, it was very dangerous. Also, in the back of the truck there was a mattress and a headboard that was strapped down. The mattress had air under it and wanted to blow out. Hearing from a friend about a motorcycle getting nailed by a flying mattress, I did not want to be behind this guy. I had a couple options. Do nothing and risk getting whacked, or drop back and wait until the guy got off the highway. Through mentorship from my riding partner, who has told me to always stay ahead of cars, my first instinct was to just get away from him and his debris and get ahead of the danger. In fact, I like to get ahead of everyone because I have a clear view of the road. So I checked my mirror, down shifted, picked up speed and passed the guy to get ahead of the danger. All of this occured in a few seconds. Good instincts are reactions that are developed and practiced over time and like Jakes' quote, they are "calculated." Bad instincts get us in trouble. If we get out of a situation without trained instincts, that is called luck, fate or a miracle. According to Wikipedia, "instinct or innate behavior is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behavior. The simplest example of an instinctive behavior is a fixed action pattern, in which a very short to medium length sequence of actions, without variation, are carried out in response to a clearly defined stimulus." In other words, we react to what we are prepared for and we have already decided on what we should do in various situations. So, how do we train our instincts? If we have to think about how to respond to a situation, then we know we have not properly prepared for that situation. To minimize our reaction time, we can train and practice. We can take various riding classes. For example, we can practice our stopping times in a controlled area like a parking lot. On a clear road, we can practice evading or swerving. If we have something happen, we should be critical of ourselves and ask ourselves, "What if " or "Did I do the right thing?" Reading is another great way to learn from other's adventures or misadventures. When something happens, we have to learn to stay calm. On two occasions, I had a bee in my helmet. Both times, I had someone on the back and both times I was stung. One of those times, the bee somehow, went inside my helmet and stung me six times on the side of the head. Although I had the initial hit to the face, I also had to control the shooting pain in my face. Most important was that I had to keep my cool, not wreck and get safely off the road to protect myself and my passenger. To be honest, once I was off the road and safely stopped, both bees died a horrible death. What if all of our instincts, reactions and training fail? Then we should have prepared ourselves for the crash. The proper safety equipment, proper amount of insurance, and if worse comes to worse a good will. If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE! Instincts by JIM JONES It is important to train for unexpected events and develop your instincts so you can be pre- pared when the unexpected happens. JIM JONES, Motorcycle Enthusiast, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200 JUNE 4 • DAVID FUTRAL BENEFIT BIKE & CAR SHOW at Gourd Springs Baptist Church, Spring Lake. Registration 10 a.m. -noon. Show registration $20. Silent auction 10 a.m. -1 p.m. Hosted by Carolina Faith Riders. 436-0276. JUNE 25 • SCHOLARSHIP FUND MOTORCYCLE RIDE at Arnette Park. Registration 9-9:45 a.m. Departure 10 a.m. $10 Single rider. $15 with passenger. 50/50 Raffle upon completion of the ride: Tickets 1 for $1 or 5 tickets for $3. Special Awards: Group w/most riders; Individual or Group traveled the farthest. Meal will be provided. Call 366-3983 for information. JULY 15 • 14TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS IN JULY TOY RUN KICK-START PARTY at Legends Pub. Call 867-2364 for infomation. PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse group of patriots from every state that come together to honor fallen soldiers at funeral services across the country. Visit www.patriotguard. org for more information about the group. 4624 BRAGG BLVD. COLDEST DRINKS IN TOWN! Now online! Flip our pages for news, views art and entertainment! www.upandcomingweekly.com Call and ask one of our marketing representatives to help you grow your business. 484-6200