LEDGER COLUMNIST

Fate is a strange thing.

And I don't know if I believe in it or not.

Sometimes I think we get fate and coincidence - or just plain dumb luck - confused.

But sometimes funny things happen. They are more times than not just happenstance (I've been trying to work that word into a column all year) or ironic events that become longstanding "remember-the-time-when" stories.

Take for example an episode in which I was involved at the Honda Hoot in Knoxville, Tenn., a couple of years ago.

This is Honda's national motorcycle rally. It continues to grow in popularity every year. The time I went, I think it attracted a crowd of some 20,000 bikers, not all of whom were Honda riders. Unlike some other bike get-togethers, this event welcomed anything on two wheels (or three wheels, for that matter) including Harleys, Yamahas, Suzukis, BMWs, Kawasakis, Buehls, Aprilias - whatever you have.

The concept is unique, Honda will tell you, in that when it decided to throw a nationwide party, it also decided to invite the other motorcycle manufacturers.

A big part of these types of rallies involves the vendors. If it's made for a motorcycle, can be adapted to fit a motorcycle, or has the words "motor" or "cycle" in it, there's probably somebody on hand who sells it.

I enjoyed looking through the various gizmos although I wasn't really in the market for anything in particular, except maybe a new helmet. I had been checking out the Arrow and Nolan booths the first two days of the rally and had decided which helmet I was going to buy when I went back on the final day Saturday.

I had seen them demonstrate the Nolan helmets with the hinged chin bar. You can wear the helmet three different ways - full-face, three-quarters or open-face. It intrigued me for a number of reasons but primarily because I wouldn't have to take off my glasses to put on the helmet. The full-face I had been wearing required me to take off my glasses, slide the helmet on, then try to fit my glasses back in the sides and over my ears, which can sometimes be tricky when you've got a giant freak head like mine (big brain, you know).

On Saturday I walked directly to the Nolan booth and struck up a conversation with the representative there, who was from somewhere in Europe (Nolan helmets are made in Italy, but this guy was from ... well, I don't know where he was from but he definitely had an accent) who politely and patiently answered all my questions. I was convinced and tried on a few helmets before deciding on the one I wanted and plunking down the purchase price.

Mission accomplished.

That night, Honda held its version of closing ceremonies in the downtown coliseum. It was at this event that several prizes would be awarded (when you registered for the rally, you were automatically entered for the drawings). I attended the event along with my wife and sister. Many of the 20,000 registered riders were there along with a whole bunch of other people.

We found ourselves seats in the second deck a hundred feet or so from the podium. The speakers thanked this person and that person for being there and for helping make the event a success. Then came time for the prizes. They announced what each prize was and then drew the name of the lucky winner.

They awarded a few and then announced that the next prize was a brand new Nolan helmet. I looked at my sister and she looked at me and we both started giggling.

I knew as sure as I was sitting there that I was going to win that helmet. I was going to win that helmet because I had just bought the very same type of helmet not five hours earlier.

It was going to be one of those "remember-the-timewhen" stories.

There was nothing anybody could do about it - it was bound to happen.

"No way," my sister said when I told her I was going to be the winner.

A few seconds later, the speaker drew the ticket.

"This fellow is from Gaffney, South Carolina," he said, "...Klonie Jordan."

He even pronounced my name correctly.

I told ya.

Twenty thousand people and I win something I already bought.

I'm not complaining, mind you. You can never have too many motorcycle accessories.

So if y'all need a ride, hop on the back. I've got an extra helmet.

(Klonie Jordan (editor@gaffneyledger.com) is executive editor of The Gaffney Ledger.)