The sketchy details are this: I bid on a motorcycle ride at an auction held by the Eastern Shore Art Center. Since I don’t like motorcycles — you know there’s a back story there somewhere — but as often happens, when people bid on things they really don’t want, guess what usually hap-pens? They win. That’s how I found myself clinging to the back of a Harley Davidson, racing down the highway one Saturday morning.

Not only do I not like motorcycles, but I’m not crazy about having to wear all that black leather before evening. I mean, I’m a seersucker kind of girl, which explains why I wore my pearls, mainly out of habit, and partly because if the paramedics had to scrape me off the road, they wouldn’t have to make an extra stop by the house to get my pearls before they took me to the hospital.

Now, I wouldn’t go on a motorcycle ride with just anyone. I mean, everyone knows bikers are known to be a bit crazed, right? But this was a ride with our local dentist and champion of veter-an’s causes, Dr. Barry Booth. He’s been riding his Harley for 20 years and has made several cross-country trips. Dr. Booth was also instrumental in transporting 957 veterans to Washington D.C. and back on the Honor Flight of South Alabama, and they all returned just fine. I decided this ride was the equivalent of going to the moon with Neil Armstrong, so I held my breath and decided to trust him.

Oh, and I said a prayer, too.

The funny thing was, it was precisely when I reached down deep inside of my shallow, little heart and scooped up a few drops of trust that I began to relax and took my fingernails out of the poor dentist’s ribs. I started to open my eyes a bit and noticed the lovely spring day, with flowers blooming along the road and pelicans flying along beside us.

We cruised over the Causeway to tour the U.S.S. Alabama, and because of his involvement on the board of directors, Dr. Booth had his own key to the side gate, once again reassuring me that if the U.S. Navy trusts the man with a key to a battleship, I was in good hands.

We inspected the new construction that was underway for a 911 Memorial, scheduled to open this coming September 11, and I also got an up-close look at the Vietnam Memorial. Having a veteran stand next to me and touch the engraved names of men he knew that didn’t return, qui-eted my nerves as the stories he told made a motorcycle ride seem like no big deal.

What I thought would be a “day of dare” was turning in to a meaningful real-life history lesson and wasn’t so nerve-wracking after all.

With a lump in my throat, we headed over to tour the Alabama State Veteran’s Memorial Ceme-tery, and once again, I was reminded of the men and women who had given their all for our country. A serene setting only open for two years, already has over 500 veterans interred within its gates.

Riding through miles of tree-shaded rural lanes and feeling the cool spring breeze, we flaunted our wildness by eating ice cream before lunch and then visited Dr. Booth’s farm where I felt like a kid as I got to play with more donkeys, horses, dogs, goats and llamas than I had planned on seeing that day, or any other day to be exact.

The ride wasn’t as windy, deafening nor as jarring as I thought it would be. I was surprised at being able to smell the individual flowers, saltwater and pine trees as we zipped along the roads. And although my jacket and helmet turned out to be a garish lime-green safety color, therefore totally ruining my accessories, I felt safe, calm and what was this feeling? Relaxed.

Spending a day free from fear, in a country that’s free from danger was a wonderful experience. It was a reminder that good things will happen when we learn to trust the right people.

Leslie Anne Harrison writes the blog “Fairhope Supply Co.” which can be found at FairhopeSupply.com