This is a picture of Pam’s motorcycle. I spoke with Pam on the phone. She told me that riding this bike gives her a sense of calm that she cannot find elsewhere in life. I’m sure many riders would say they get a similar sensation, but this is particularly meaningful to Pam. She has post-traumatic stress disorder.
On April 15th, 1999, a deranged man calmly walked into the same library where Pam was doing research on her family history. At 10:30am, he pulled out a handgun and opened fire. Pam was in the crowd. She watched two people die that day.
In expert detail, Pam understands the chemical process that is causing her PTSD and clinical major depression. Coincidentally, she holds a master’s degree in experimental psychology. Unfortunately, logic and reason are not remedies so every morning she would have to make a very important promise to herself: “I will not kill myself today.”
Fourteen years later, at age 50, Pam hangs up the phone with me. She just finished a 2,963 mile road trip on this bike.
Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, Pam.