A word to the “hard core”

I’ve noticed a trend of people having a skewed idea of what it means to be “hard core” in this day of period correct resurgence. Be it biker, skater, punk or whatever the view of what being hard core is has gotten blurry and phony. Let me be the first to admit that I’m guilty if having this view for a lot of years and turning myself into something that I wasn’t and the people closest to me hated.

I feel like most people now think being hard core means this: You have to hate everything that doesn’t fit into your world or ‘lifestyle’ (chopper guys have to hate rubs/bagger guys) people who aren’t like you are dumb, and people who want to be are posers. You have to be a hard ass, be ready to tell a punk to fuck off if he looks at you, and beat him down if he doesn’t like it. Feelings are for girls and ‘bros’ are just dudes you know. If you disagree with how someone lives you’ll tell them quick but they better not tread on you, and fuck the man!

Well that’s a bunch of bullshit I was wrong and if you think this way so are you.

Dictionary.com defines what I’m talking about as…

–adjective

1.

Unswervingly committed; uncompromising; dedicated: a hard-core fill in the blank

Let me help you with this:

Unswervingly committed:

You live your life committed not only to your bike or board, but to your family and real bros. You treat your wife like she’s the queen of your world and could do no wrong, and your kids like the center of your universe. You have a group of friends that are real brothers. Guys you’d drop what you’re doing and drive for hours to pick up on the side of the road because they’d do it for you and they are really like brothers to you. Not the kind that’s bought with a patch or you think you deserve cause you ride a two wheeler too. You’re committed to riding because you love it, miles clear your mind and when you’re on the road you, the machine and the yellow line become one entity. Cliché as it is, the destination is second to the journey.   

Uncompromising:

This one is hard for people to get. You live for the things mentioned above and you don’t want to be tread on and told you’re living wrong because it’s different or not status quo. You reserve judgment because, who are you to judge or worry about the cat who’s riding the bagger with 26” rims in his licensed gear? That’s his deal. You don’t really care what others are doing because you’re busy ruling your world. Truth and honesty reign, you don’t want to be bullshited and when you mess up you say so like a man no matter how bad it is.   

Dedicated:

Your family and friends top your list and you check that ego at the door. I’ve never met a man I considered hard core who was on the offensive end of a fight. These people protect their family, friends and property and aren’t “soft” as it were but they have to be pushed to the last option before handling their business because they know, you never really win. When your friends or family need you, you’re there for them day or night and they know how you feel about them all day every day. Love like tomorrow isn’t coming because it just may not.

You see, in the end being hard core is being true to yourself and what/who you love. The real you not the you that society, the news, Hollywood or anyone else says you should be but the person you really are when no one is looking and your guard is down. Keeping your guard up may save you short term pain but in the end you’ll destroy all that’s close to you if you don’t let them in. Miles and attitude don’t make the man, the most hard core of people are also the most meek and humble of people.  

Kinda heavy maybe but i needed to get it out, see ya down the road