My Papa was the greatest man I have ever known. He portrayed the perfect American man: he was a Navy veteran who continued to serve his country by riding his motorcycle in the Patriot Guard. To me, he was god-like--there was no question he could not answer and no problem he could not solve. He could cook anything, build anything, do anything. His heart overflowed with selflessness. He set aside his own problems to listen to mine. He always helped his neighbors clean their yards or change their oil; he knew mechanics like an old friend. Papa would always be on the road, riding his favorite tinkered motorcycle with his Navy Veteran biker gang.
At first glance, Papa resembled a motorcycle; strong yet intricate. He was a large, leathery man with a prickly beard and soft ponytail covered by his battered sailor’s cap. He always wore his authentic black leather jacket, embellished with pins and patches, like the jewels on a crown. He worked hard to earn those trophies on his torso. They represented all the places he traveled, all the feats he overcame. When I saw Papa on his bike, wearing his revered jacket, I idolized his Captain America persona. More than anything in the whole world, I wanted to be just like him: I wanted to ride that motorcycle and earn a biker jacket of my own. Riding the motorcycle is the rite of passage in our family--the level of peak performance that only the best of the best can achieve. As the first of the next generation of motorcyclists, I wanted to
The man I called papa was my grandfather, my mentor, and my friend. Always a great example for what exceptional leader was. With noble integrity and a unique sense of human responsibility, always taking care of others. He was always
Grandparents are the backbone of every family tree. They provide love and nourishment, and even an escape when your annoying parents are getting on your nerves. When your parents say no to junk food, they feed you chocolate chip cookies and M&Ms. Huh. That must be your grandparents. While my grandfather, Henry Malachowski, is still the backbone of the Malachowski clan, he provides me with some of life’s most essential lessons. My grandpa is someone I can depend on for his wisdom when the rest of the world’s advice is not adequate enough for me to succeed in my quests.
There have been countless influential people in my life that I’ve come across. One who was a meticulous inspiration continues to be my grandfather. My grandmother had remarried to the one I call “grandpa” when I was at the age of five, and they both took to each other’s grandchildren as their own. With my mother and me only living a mile down the road from their farmhouse out in the country, I’d spent heaps amount of time there as a child. Indeed, I had been without a father but my grandfather stepped up to the plate and had taken me under his wing and willingly played the personification of a father figure.
Along with being supportive, my grandpa is one of the most selfless people I know. Whenever my family needs help with anything he is the first person we call because we know that if anyone can do it, or is willing to do it, it’s him. My dad owns a landscaping and plowing business, so he is always wearing down his trucks, causing them to break down a lot. Papa is always up to the challenge of fixing them, even though he never has to. One thing that is really important to him is family, he has always, always put family first.
Have you ever had a hero in your life, someone that is always there for you when you need them? I did, I called him "my dad." My dad was the only person that could make me laugh when I was feeling down. My dad was that person who had so much love for his family. My dad was the person who I could call and he'd always pick up. My dad was the person who would drop everything just to help me. My dad was the biggest hero in my life and to this day, still is.
I have an abundance of grotesque, yet, barely visible memories of childhood. However, no breathtaking family trips, no unique family togetherness that taught a moral lesson, no abnormal holidays. We still ate family meals together, but most often the children and adults lived in different worlds. When I needed comforting or wanted the best of both worlds, I could turn to my Grandpa.
Depending on the cancer, it may or may not be a death sentence. Many people who have cancer are held with suspense. Along with suspense come a fierce medical struggle. My thoughts and feelings are just scattered all over the place. I didn't really understand all that was going on in my life. I love to fish which keeps me active and has taught me lessons on learning even at the age I am at. I work plastering buildings which kept me on my feet, and has taught me to be flexible. I am very diligent at watching my diet and I have a schedule for exercising. So when I was told I had prostate cancer I almost didn’t believe it. I seemed to be functioning fine. So let me tell you a little bit about my cancer story. Here it goes.
The crunch of frozen grass could be heard a mile away at five o’clock in the morning. My grandpa and I whispered conversation as we strolled over to our favorite deer blind. We cautiously marched over sticks trying hard not to make any sounds. We eventually made it without spooking any deer and set our guns down, waiting for sunrise. These are the times I enjoy the most with my grandpa. It is a chance to sit back and enjoy life with one of my favorite people on this planet. Time goes slower in these moments. It gives us a chance to share conversation about anything. We swap stories from the past and I always seem to learn something new from my grandpa. Whether it be from advice he gives me or from an experience long ago, I’m always listening. Although our experiences may be different we still love to enjoy the same hobbies together, whether it’s woodworking, hunting, or time out on the lake; sharing life with my grandpa is priceless.
Staring out the window at the black cat crossing the street, I look back at that calm November morning that I lost my grandfather. As I rode my bike to school, I felt a slight breeze tugging me off track. As I glanced around my surroundings, I see a black cat, who scurried in front of my bike. I continued down the path without knowing what would occur the following days. After one life ended, this one changed forever. My life went on a ride of emotions through family events, sports outings, and our family business.
While we wait for improved batteries, the auto industry has turned to hybrids as the practical way to achieve future fuel-economy levels. tumble microcosm of motorcyclercycle racing, MotorcycleGP rules the roost with its astronomical budgets and Formula 1-like levels of bespoke engineering. A Superbike rider’s relationship with the electronics that manage a motorcyclercycle’s performance often bounces between love and hate. Ducati’s Chaz Davies grew up racing analog two-strokes, and says electronics have played a considerably bigger role within the last five years. Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes echoes the sentiment. “At the end of the day, there’s a fine balance with technology and how it can be your worst or your best tool,” he admits. “It’s down to the rider to give that feedback, and down to the operator as well to manage the rider’s comments and what he picks up. The beauty and excitement of racing for me is developing in every area, and technology is just one of them.” As much as the global stage of World Superbike racing is an extreme amalgam of supremely talented racers and focused machines, much of its appeal lies in the relative accessibility of the hardware, which more closely resembles consumer grade superbikes than the exotica on display in MotorcycleGP.
My Papa grew up on a farm, raced horses, went to a boarding school, and ended up being an English Professor (sadly that gene didn’t pass down to me). If you met him you would have no idea though. He was the most relaxed, laid back, goofy individual you would ever meet. My favorite part about him was his goofiness. There wasn’t a day that it wouldn’t come out and shine even for a moment.
I think the person who has had the most profound effect on my life besides my parents is my grandfather. I never realized before how much of an effect he had on my interests and goals for the future. Years ago, he used to tell me stories about historical events and experiences he had fighting in Vietnam and my great grandfather fighting in World War 2. His vivid descriptions always made it so interesting and, in some cases, more light-hearted than what actually happened. To this day he still has more stories to tell me, and never fails to captivate my interest. In doing this, he opened my eyes to my biggest interest, history, and encouraged me to pursue this interest throughout school. I feel like it would help to give a short summary of his life and how it affected me.
At just over five feet tall, she was the kind of woman that you saw on the street and knew to move out of her way. Her demeanor was strict, her hands tied with thick blue veins, crisscrossing over her thin, frail fingers.
“I can’t believe that’s true!” I exclaimed, my laughter echoing through the room. My grandpa and I had been chatting on the phone for the past half an hour. You would imagine a man his age would be boring and dull. However, he was quite the joker. At least with me, since I was, of course, his favorite granddaughter.