“Man of the House!” Oh how my role has changed

November 14, 9:52 AMBoomer Biker ExaminerBruce Hosking

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Near the end of February of 2009, I will turn 61 and that’s a reality with which this BoomerBikerExaiminer is having a hard time dealing.

When I stop and take a moment to reflect on my life, I’m both amazed at what I have seen and what I have accomplished, but at the same time saddened by what I have not.

A lot has changed over the course of my lifetime, yet; in general, the rhythm of life remains the same.

My wife Yvonne and I recently celebrated our 20th anniversary, and here I am today, 20 years later, still sitting in front of my laptop pounding out stories. But these days I classify myself as a (semi) retired journalist. Why, you might ask! Well, I’ve come to the realization that I will never be able to completely retire because, in everything I see or do, I perceive that there’s a story worth telling and/or recording.

I’m either blessed or plague, depending on your perspective, with a never-ending need to create and communicate. I accepted my lot in life long ago and now I’ve made it my job to combine my skills with my passion for motorcycles to create interesting, entertaining and informative content for people with similar interests.

Sombody's got to do it - might as well be me!

And that’s all right with Yvonne – as long as I do my chores first!

• Pick up your dirty clothes
• take out the garbage
• take the dogs to the vet
• clean the windows
• mow the lawn
• rake, then trim the plants.

And when you're done, you can go riding!

But, I really don’t mind. Yvonne keeps me grounded. Her expectation of me is the mortar that binds our marriage and gradually, throughout the course of our union, my change in behavior has made me a better man.

By now, most everyone has heard Benjamin Franklins famous quote about Certainty –

“In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.”

But, please allow me to be so bold as to suggest that we add an additional category to Certainty – that being Change.

When one thinks about all the events that have transpired since Wiley ole’ Benjamin captured lightning in a jar - Change has certainly earned it’s right of inclusion into Franklin’s famous quote.

My life has gone through tremendous change during the time that I have been on this earth. I started out as an ordinary kid, the eldest son of a hard-working blue-collar family in the 50’s. Then I became a longhaired war-protesting 60’s hippie.

Therefore, as an adult, when I answered my calling as a photojournalist, it wasn’t much of a stretch for me to feel comfortable being classified with the moniker “Liberal Journalist.”

Over the course of the next 40 years, my profession brought me in direct contact with all that is good in our society as well as that which is bad. As a photojournalist, I never knew what would happen next. One minute I would find myself standing beside our President while at the next, photographing a serial killer.

And it was that spontaneity that created my intoxication for journalism. But the professional demands took a huge personal tole on my life. Among other things, it cost me my first marriage.

There’s a saying in our profession that goes something like this –

“I never met a great journalist that wasn’t divorced – at least once!”

Professionally speaking, that qualifies me as "fairly successful," but personally it cost me dearly. I learned the hard way that I needed to learn to balance the spontaneity of my professional career with the responsibilities of my personal life in order to survive – It took me a while, but, with Yvonne’s help, I did it!

Back then, “man of the house” ment much the same to me as it does today – being proud of my work, helping to put food on the table and a roof over our heads. But in our house, these are all shared responsibilities because my wife has always worked. Matter-of-fact, there have been many times in our life when Yvonne has earned more than me and I couldn’t be more proud of her. (surprised? - I’m the journalist)

So, now, when Yvonne hands me her “honey do” list before heading off to work, I really don’t mind at all because I realize that knowing her has made me twice the man I was before we met.

It’s our relationship and our family that’s most important to me now. And Yvonne and I, like most boomers our age, are deeply concerned about what the future holds for our children and grandchildren.

Corporate greed, apathy, 2 more unpopular protracted wars and partisan politics have all been contributing factors to the current mess America finds itself in. However, in my personal opinion, it’s the unprecedented divisiveness of our union that is most disturbing to me. And it’s this division in America that is preventing us from quickly resolving many of our current problems.

After 4 decades as a journalist, I’d like to be able to think of myself as a mentor, but at this point I’m not convinced that there’s anyone out there who is listening.

But if you are, here’s some advice from me to you.

As countrymen, we just elected – by a landslide - a really smart and savvy guy to become our 44th President. Barack Obama was elected because he has his hand on the pulse of America.

• He understands the importance of restoring human rights.
• He understands the potential of Stem Cell research.
• He understands the value of education.
• He understands that you lead by example, not by looking down the barrel of a gun
• And he grasps the concept that America must first be strong at home - in order for us to be able help the rest of the world.

“But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

I believe that America has reached a crossroads in its history and our Democracy will be tested in the coming years like it has never been tested before. But, just like Barack Obama I also believe that we’ll all be fine if we unite for the common good.

You know, “One for all, all for one – together we stand, divided we fall!”

But enough of this talk, I’m the man of this house and I’ve got my chores to finish. And if I get done early, I’ll still have enough time to go riding before I have to come back home and cook dinner for my lovely wife.