Lessons from the Road We should’ve gone to Costa Rica
By Ken Decroo #178241
A FEW YEARS AGO, MY BEST friend Fritz passed away, but it wasn’t before he taught me one last lesson. He was a big, larger-than-life man who lived life to the fullest, and I have often said that finding a good fishing or riding buddy is harder than finding a wife. And Fritz was the best buddy I ever had. He was a man of many contradic-
tions. He lived modestly but was a millionaire. He was a tall Viking but was the softest touch you ever met. He was the most successful contractor in our valley. He was a man’s man and my friend. We had been planning a Costa Rica
adventure for some time. The motos were ready, we began packing, and we set aside the dates. It was all we talked about for months. I poured over every route and studied all the possible tide charts and camping areas along the way. I thought the day would never come.
I was so excited that my friends grew
tired of hearing about our plans. But a few days before we were actually scheduled to head out, Fritz called me and said he couldn’t make it. He said that a big job had come up that he could not pass up. I was livid, and we argued. He said he had dou- bled his bid but still was awarded the proj- ect. He finally paused and said, “Kenny, we can always go next year.” I left on a long trip and was gone for
months. We didn’t talk much during the time, as I was unplugged, traveling to white spots on the maps with no connectivity. When I finally got back, there were several messages from Fritz’s daughter on the phone that said my friend was ill and I should come to see him right away. Fritz had contracted cancer. What he
had thought was a bad virus before I left had turned out to be lung cancer. I left immediately to see him, and we talked long into the evening. He weakly laughed as we recalled all the adventures we had been on and all the great times we had had. I looked
around his richly appointed house where we had spent so many evenings planning our adventures and realized all his stuff and money didn’t really count for much now. All we were talking about were the adventures we had shared. As though he had read my mind, he squeezed my hand firmly, eyes welling up, and said, “Kenny, we should have gone to Costa Rica.” My friend Fritz died the next day. Life is precious and not guaranteed.
Don’t postpone that adventure and your dreams. Ride.
14
BMW OWNERS NEWS August 2016
the club
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