You Warmed My Heart

As you may guess, I have a lot of old motorcycle equipment. I have an old Widder electric vest. It works great, it kept me warm for many years, but as with much of my clothing, it has shrunk over time. I wore it last a couple of summers ago on a ride to Canada. I came back down Hwy 1, along the coast, and while it was about 105 degrees on the inland Hwy 5, it was bitter cold along the coast. I could not zip the vest so I just wore it unzipped. It kept me warm. My bike has heated grips so with the grips and the vest I was OK.
My wife wore the Widder vest when she rode with me until today, when we bought her a new Gerbing liner jacket. I bought the same liner right after the Canada trip. I just liked the material of the Gerbing jacket a little better. It seemed that the Widder was a little dated.
Dated though it may have been that Widder vest worked and it worked for many years. While at the motorcycle shop, I picked up a copy of City Bike and read that this will be the last year that Widder will be in business. The owners are retiring. I am sad, as I’m sure the Widder’s are, to see the company go. I remember when my Dad decided to close his business and retire. I felt a sense of loss, a sense that life is short and that even though retirement will be fun and allow my Dad to do many of the things he had been dreaming about and working toward, it is the beginning of the twilight of his life.