Lost Along the Way

by Ed Meyer

posted on May 13, 2011 in General Discussion, News | 2 Comments >>

Warning SignFor the past few days I have read about Michael Baze, and the troubled life that has followed him. He was due in court on drug charges, and I am sure this really weighed on his mind. One thing I would like you to do right now, think back to when you were 24-years-old, and think about some of your decisions.

Fans seemed to want the reasons why. After all, does it matter? Will it change the results?  – This has the sounds of a lost man, and if toxicology reports show something not of his own doing, I stand corrected. But does it matter why, or how? The sadness still lingers and a good man got lost somewhere along the way.

If it was that drug charge, he would not have been the first to have faced the justice system. Think about it…. He was riding at the top of his game, and pressure is immense. Add in that he was a young man away from home, and things get cloudy. I don’t think we should focus on the why or how, but what can do to reach out to others around us. Times are tough all around, and maybe if we watched each other just a little closer, we may stem the loss of good people who get lost in the fog. Imagine feeling alone and being young away from family. How would you have done? I am sure some of your decisions would not have been the best, and some could have been ugly.

To lose a young man is infinite sadness. The loss of a good human being, and that cold feeling of being isolated can be more than one can handle. The way that he was found shows that we just don’t pay attention to what is going on around us. He was in a car in a high traffic area, and security abound made little inquiry. I don’t know if it is natural, or if circumstances played a role, but, he is gone and that won’t change.

Over the years I have heard riders getting in trouble, and money and fame could have played a role. For the gawkers that wait for results, it still won’t change. But please use this sad event to pay attention to what is going on around our lives. Maybe he could have been helped, maybe he wouldn’t have felt alone.  Maybe, just maybe, this event could have been averted. So remember the man in his best light, and use this tragedy to wake us up, pay attention, get involved, and play a role in someones life. I am sure his family would agree, and the world may be a little kinder. Michael, it was a pleasure watching you ride. but you left us way too early. May God bless you, and your family find peace.