“You do not need to be loved, not at the cost of yourself. “
– Jo Courdert, American author and illustrator

The freedom was intoxicating. I loved the feel of wind in my face and the rush of adrenalin as I twisted the throttle. The small, four-stroke engine screamed as I accelerated up to 50 km/h. It was 1972. I had accompanied Father to the local farm implement dealership, and Raymond, the head mechanic, had just finished assembling a new Arctic Cat mini-bike. I immediately fell in love with the little motorcycle and pleaded with Father to let me take it for a ride.

“A motorized bike is a lot different from a pedal bike.”

Father had ridden bikes in the army and – as the story goes – been thrown off one.

“I can show...

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