Seattle to Argentina on a KLR650

[peterfpriesthood]

"Now he is the inspiration for those who live their lives in adventure. Go with God's speed all riders... you are the sons and daughters of my heart."
Love,
Marylyn

Thank you Marylyn - and know that the story of your son and family has continued to touch others. Your words will be what I whisper as I swing my leg over a bike as a reminder.

[Radar Rider]

Originally Posted by BlackSpanker

this makes me want to take things slower, very real sad story. hey how old was Clayton at the time of his trip?

He was 30.

[rockjohn]

This young Man has touched many.

My grandmother passed in 98, she left me a note.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints on the snow

I am the sunlight on ripened grain
I am the gentle autumn's rain
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circle flight
I am the soft stars that shine at night
Do not stand at my grave and cry

I am not there

I did not die



Every year on January the 4th I open her note and read this and I know she is there.

Clayton lives on in all of you that have honored him.

[Matchanu]

This was the first RR I read when I first found this site. It effected me far more than I expected.

It has made me more cautious in my riding, I read this at least once a month as a reminder.

[Iamtheone]

Originally Posted by sckoby

I stumbled across this thread the other day and since then I can't get it out of my head. I was in tears, I wont be forgetting his story for some time. My thoughts are with your family.

Ditto.

RIP Clayton

[Earthiest]

Planning my adventure south of the border, it hasn't taken me long to find my way here. Reading this thread late into the night, following Clayton's story as it continues to add meaning more than three years later, I realize I am getting just what I came to this forum for... wisdom. With so much emotion: sadness, gratitude, and even a sense of awe, I feel like I have been walking through the halls of our collective humanity. The bold and daring, generous and thoughtful, fear and love, and of course the fragility that each of our lives are. All are so evident among the pages of this thread. The rest of us, that his story has so deeply touched, carry this humanity with us, on every ride.
This story seems to me to be a shrine that I am paying homage to before I take off on my grand adventure. Hoping that as I go forward I will do so with both boldness and patience, carrying with me wisdom I do not want to learn first hand.
With respect to Clayton's family,
Earthiest

[Just GO!]

Originally Posted by Ozy'sMom

Dear Friends: Clay saves lives all the time. Go with God's speed all riders... you are the sons and daughters of my heart.
Love,
Marylyn

I am really nobody in this story or the larger design of things but those words make me feel that I am indeed someone.

There have been many times since reading this thread that I have slowed down and taken care while something potentially dangerous was happening in front of me. I remember Clayton, I slow down, sometimes to a stop, wait until everything is clear and then ride on.






"you are the sons and daughters of my heart"

Thank you and God speed.

[AMMC1]

HI Everyone,
I joined today, directed here from some advise offered on another biker site I'm on in Ireland.
I'm 43, and took up biking this year. Conscious that I'm a newbie, practising a lot and loving the biking and all the people I've met through biking and biker sites so far. Will have additional time on my hands soon (due to Global economy downturn) and thought to make the most of that downtime to explore and experience the world in a different way to the travel when in 'work mode'.
The very first post I opened was Clayton's, and thought 'great adventure', let's see where he's at now - got such a shock on the last thread and went back to the beginning and read through to page 54 - with the rollercoaster of emotions that everyone has experienced, tears rolling down my face - my thoughts go to his family and loved one's. I can also see those traits coming through on all the posts which reinforce my appreciation of those people that I have met through this new passion.
I too, will be taking it easy, riding within my limits, and staying aware that in a split second anything can change - thanks Clayton - I too will be remembering and thinking of you, never having met you, but feeling like I've gotten to know a lovely guy this evening. Tomorrow I'll read the rest from page 54 to now. Marylyn & Gene - love and thoughts with you. Take care

[rockjohn]

Originally Posted by AMMC1

HI Everyone,
I joined today, directed here from some advise offered on another biker site I'm on in Ireland.
I'm 43, and took up biking this year. Conscious that I'm a newbie, practising a lot and loving the biking and all the people I've met through biking and biker sites so far. Will have additional time on my hands soon (due to Global economy downturn) and thought to make the most of that downtime to explore and experience the world in a different way to the travel when in 'work mode'.
The very first post I opened was Clayton's, and thought 'great adventure', let's see where he's at now - got such a shock on the last thread and went back to the beginning and read through to page 54 - with the rollercoaster of emotions that everyone has experienced, tears rolling down my face - my thoughts go to his family and loved one's. I can also see those traits coming through on all the posts which reinforce my appreciation of those people that I have met through this new passion.
I too, will be taking it easy, riding within my limits, and staying aware that in a split second anything can change - thanks Clayton - I too will be remembering and thinking of you, never having met you, but feeling like I've gotten to know a lovely guy this evening. Tomorrow I'll read the rest from page 54 to now. Marylyn & Gene - love and thoughts with you. Take care

Welcome to a great site, good place to start. Try Erica's RR you will see who well this site can work as a collective. enjoy and ride safe

[Mr B]

Powerful words

Strong Emotions

Life is short and we only have one shot at it......

Go Easy .....

[Ilmater]

Damn... 71 pages takes a long time.

I think I read as many differing thoughts and opinions as I read what-can-I-say-that-hasn't-already-been-said's. I'd love to just say RIP to Clayton and leave it at that, but that's just not who I am. I'm the kind of person that just has to get his two cents in, but I do hope it helps.

That being said, I wanted to try and help Ozy's Mom get through what has to be - even a year and a half later - a difficult journey. My thoughts are this: everyone, no matter what we do, will die. Everyone on earth lives only a certain amount of time and then passes. I have to assume some of the grief comes from Clayton not living the full 85 years the average American lives. Two questions then probably enter your mind: How many more moments could I have spent with him? What could he have accomplished?

To the first question, there is not much to say other than you just can't focus on that. Bottom line, the time could have been shorter, and it could have been less productive. Many kids die in cribs, miscarriages happen, car accidents, bicycle accidents, and on and on... many people leave this earth for crazy reasons every day. You can hang your hat on the fact that you got a good 30+ years with him, and raised a boy into a man that was INCREDIBLY articulate, thoughtful, introspective, and adventurous. Certainly - even from what little I have read in these 71 pages, having never met him personally - I can tell that he lived every day on this earth with a passion that few could rival. That zest for life is something you gave him, and you should be forever proud of the person you raised and the job you did.

To the second question, this is more simple. Think to yourself: how many people do you know - good people who live happy lives - that in 100 years will have as much of an effect on the world as he did? There have been hundreds of comments on here, and I'm sure he had hundreds of other friends and acquaintances that have been similarly touched by his life. Think of how many others on this very forum that live on because of your son's story. Without them even knowing, I'm sure there are AT A MINIMUM several mothers that have you and your son to thank for the well-being of their children that have read Clayton's story. There are 6 billion people on this earth, and in just over 30 years your son had more of an impact on this world than 99.9% of them ever will. To focus on the time lost - in my very very humble opinion - is a waste. Focus on the lives he's saved, the book drives, the effect he has on even non-riders (admission here - I don't even ride, though I've always wanted to; a friend of mine sent me this link, I hope you don't boot me for that)... I doubt most would make that kind of impact in 200 years.

You now have to focus on what makes you happy, trying to enjoy your life here until you join him one day.

--------------------------------------------

All that being said, I'd like to mention what these 71 pages have meant to me personally. For awhile they were a hard lesson that I wasn't sure I wanted. I have a happy life, and I wasn't sure about 40 pages in if I wanted to have ever read this; but I simply could not stop without having read it all and having left my own comments. I was mostly upset for Clayton and his family, but also just depressed because I feel like I could do more with my own life than I'm doing now. Hell, I was even weighed down a little bit with sympahy for the family.

I have seen a thousand stories of people that die before their time. I've personally known people that I lost early to cancer, heart attacks, vehicle accidents, suicide, and many other ways. But I can honestly say that none of those has affected me the way your son's story has. None of them gave me more pause in my life. That is due to three things: 1) The incredible outpouring of support from those on this forum. 2) The incredible way in which your son wrote, which made me feel his feelings more deeply than anyone in a similar situation before. 3) The amount to which your family and your son have opened up to what it's like to go through this. I have such an acute sense of what this would feel like that it rattles me to my bones. All of those things together made me really stop the last few days as I've read this and think about what I have done and what I want to do with my life.

I can't say for sure what I will do with this, but I can say that I'll try harder to make an impact because of this story. That's not blowing smoke, that's a fact.

Hope this helps a bit. RIP Ozy, best wishes to his family.

[srad600]

This is one of the saddest threads I've come across in my time in the biking community.

RIP Clayton.

[100mpg]

Originally Posted by Ozy'sMom

Dear Friends:
Please do not construe my absence for lack of caring. It has more to do with how much I feel this is a sacred place... and while I love seeing all the notes, it is still so tough... I thank the powers to be at this site for the sticky on Clay's page. Nearly two to three times a month, I get a beautiful e-mail from someone who happened on the tread, and could not stop reading... all the way to the terrible end. Clay saves lives all the time. Our family is grateful to all of you who remember us and pray for our peace. Gene and I joined a grief therapy group recently. I only wish there had been one for us sooner. My heart will never be whole again. Clayton is missed so very much. He was such a light in our lives. Now he is the inspiration for those who live their lives in adventure. Go with God's speed all riders... you are the sons and daughters of my heart.
Love,
Marylyn

Originally Posted by LE Trainer

Easily the most touching post I have ever read, anywhere.
Gene and Marylyn, I think of Clay often during my journeys as do many others. Please take what comfort you can from that.

And so do I.

I just got back from a mild on-road adventure. The most difficult part was the weather and after all, it was only rain and cold. But I brought my memorial Ozy T-shirt as one of three I had with me. Here I am at the Ubehebe Crater, thinking about life and bringing the memory of Clayton along for the ride.

[drrags]

A day doesn't go by riding south of the border that I don't think about this story. I've slowed down and am much more careful because of it. Thank you.

[doglips]

Originally Posted by Juice Box

+1

Juice Box, I just joined ADVR, just saw your quote and LOVED it!!! (oops forgot to refer to the quote- regarding the US soldier in Afghanistan)