Remember when you were a kid, and the two best days of the year were Christmas and your birthday? Well, I feel lucky, because that IS how I remember it. But we don’t all remember it that way. Imagine hearing about this guy Santa, who brings great toys to good girls and boys? But then Christmas came and went, and you got nothing? Because your family was homeless, struggling………or worse if you didn’t even have a family? Imagine the difference your one gift can make to that one child. ‘Tis the season for Toy Runs, and I believe it is a noble cause.
Can bad boys do good things? Of course they can! Whenever they feel like it! The San Fernando Valley Hell’s Angels have been doing their annual Toy Run for a very long time. And a couple of those boys have been my very good friends for a couple of decades. These boys knew me back when I rode Hondas up to Rick’s Drive Inn back in the late eighties. They have always been very supportive of me throughout my years in the world of motorcycling. So a group of my friends all joined in to support the best of the “bad boys” doing a good thing. The toys donated go to young boys and girls without parents at the holidays.
We rolled on up to the Hells Angels clubhouse. Parked in a field a block away and walked down an alley past the line of bad ass bikes, and past the scary sculpture of the grim reaper. We went into the notorious clubhouse where a mountain of toys was already reaching the ceiling……….and a slightly scary Santa was waiting for you to sit on his lap and tell him whether you’ve been naughty or nice. I think he was secretly waiting for naughty girls, and our group seemed to fill his need!
As a woman who has lived my life questioning authority………….I have always held a certain respect for those who have made the choice to live a lifestyle in the one percent. Those who have chosen to live outside of the normal laws, rules, and regulations that most of us allow to govern our lives. It is not an easy path to take in our modern world that is slowly chipping away at our freedoms, little piece by little piece. They were also the first people I met who lived a lifestyle that revolved around motorcycles, and the friendships of those you share that road with.
I will always maintain my respect for the part these people played in my life. Had they been mean to me and my little Honda……..there may have been a different outcome to my path. They invited me into their world where I saw something I wanted to experience. I wanted that kind of freedom to live in my heart. I respected their freedom over what other people think and do. I also highly respect their privacy, and would never point my camera in any direction at an HA gathering without asking permission first!
They had a great turn out, and I enjoyed seeing people I had not seen in many, many years. They had music, hamburgers, a raffle, and the most perfect sunny 80 degree December 1st day! A few of my pals and I decided it was too perfect a day not to catch a bit of it in the wind. So we hit the road to do our local loop of the Rock Store, Neptune’s Net, and the Sagebrush Cantina. It was a most perfect Day! And I thank the SFV HA’s for hosting a great event for a great cause!
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