Author Wayne W. Dyer hit the nail on the head when he said, “Judging someone does not define who they are; it defines who you are.”
Yet, despite our best efforts, we still tend to judge others — and no one knows the brunt of our misconceptions quite like bikers.
Bikers tend to get a bad rap. When spotted in a group, they’re called a “gang” — and when they’re flying solo, many associate them with nasty words like “mean” and “dirty” (just like this misunderstood motorcycle-riding dad who was misjudged by a little girl’s rude mother).
Yet, what most people don’t get about many bikers is that beneath their rough exteriors covered in leather and tattoos lies a soft, gooey heart of pure gold. In fact, many motorcycle clubs do tons of kind things like defend bullied children and help rescue abused dogs.
But nothing demonstrates this point more than in a story I heard years ago when I was still in college. I heard it from a friend who knew someone who was working a new job in which she had a very rare interaction with a group of bikers.
The effect of this encounter? It completely changed her life…
“Business was slow that day, so when she heard the dull roar of their motorcycles a mile away, she assumed they would drive on by.
But when a gang of bikers pulled into to the parking lot of her Waffle House, she had to admit, she was scared."
“The four men walked in. They were covered head to toe in leather. She was also shocked to discover that they were three times bigger than she expected them to be from the parking lot.
The men squeezed into a booth and sat there silently. None of them lifted the menu.
After a few minutes, she timidly walked over to them and said, 'Hello, welcome to Waffle House. How may I help you?'
One of the bikers, a bear of a man with a scorpion tattoo on his neck, spoke in a deep, commanding voice.
‘We’ll take 30 coffees and 30 bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches,’ he growled. ‘To go.’
She was shocked by this order. Were these men that large because they ate this much? She tried to hide her surprise by calmly writing down their order.
‘Will that be all?’ she asked.
Yes, they replied. She went over to a register to calculate their order."
“She returned with their bill.
‘That will be $160,’ she said.
The biker with the scorpion tattoo whipped out two crisp $100 bills and handed them to her. She was suspicious, so she checked them to make sure they were real. They checked out, so she put in their order, and handed them their change.
‘Keep it,’ he said, pulling out an extra $20, and putting it on the table.”
“‘Thank you,’ she said shyly.
‘You look young, are you in college?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ she said.
‘UCA State?’
She nodded.
‘My little sister goes there,’ he said. ‘Maybe you know her? Rosemary King?’
‘I do,’ she said with a little smile. ‘She’s in my biology class.’
‘That school has a great science program,’ he said with a smile. ‘Rosemary had to work really hard to get into it.’
The waitress nodded as the bell for their order rang. She walked over, picked up their to-go bags and coffee containers, and brought them to the men.
They took the bags, got up, and left.
When she walked over a moment later to wipe down their booth, she noticed another crisp $100 lying on the table with the rest of her tip.”
“At this point she is completely stunned.
She decided to chase after them.
When she got to the parking lot, she noticed one of the men giving a sandwich and a cup of coffee to a homeless man sitting by the dumpster.
‘Excuse me!’ she yelled.
‘I'm sorry, did I forget something?’ asked the biker with the tattoo.
‘Yes, you left this at your table,’ she said handing him the $100 bill.
‘It’s for you,’ he said. ‘I know that college is expensive.’
As he got on the seat of his bike, she looked up and him, and finally said:
‘I’m sorry, but I have to ask, what is with all the food?’ ”
“All four men grinned ear to ear.
‘We split a lottery ticket a few years ago and won a lot of money,’ said the one with the tattoo. ‘We have so much now, that we don’t know what to do with it. We decided to give it away to charity, but signing a check didn’t feel right. So every week or so, we gather anyone we know who needs a good meal, and buy it for them.’
She watched as they rode away, until the huge men were as small as dust in the wind."
“That day, she learned an important life lesson she never could have learned from a fancy class in college — never judge a book by its cover."
What do you think of this story? Do you know a biker with a heart of gold? Let us know in the comments below!
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