I was riding around today with another rider in moderate Sunday traffic. From one side of town to the other, into the centre of town for lunch. Enjoying the ride. Nothing fast, no urgency, no lane filtering just having a really good day on the bike.

It was good to see so many other bikes out doing the same thing—just chilling and riding.

My lunch conversation had me feeling grateful for how my life is now, and how riding motorcycles is this very positive cornerstone of my life.

I have a Google Alerts email that lets me know of any motorcycle fatalities in my state. It's been a rough year for motorcycle fatalities in Queensland. But what always hits me harder is the stuff you don’t see in those emails — the riders who didn’t die, but whose lives changed forever—the ones who end up with permanent injuries or disabilities.

That's where my brain goes when I see, or hear, another rider taking unnecessary risks on their ride. I dont want to see anyone lose their life in a motorcycle accident, but you don't need to be dead to lose your life.