An American icon, John Wayne is a man’s man. A “take no shit from anyone” attitude mixed with the strength of two men. Work hard and speak your mind. Be honest and stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. Do the right thing and the rest will take care of itself. I think you get the idea. But if John Wayne rode a motorcycle, what would he ride? I believe he would ride something that stands for freedom and prosperity. Something that says to those who don’t ride “I am who I am and I don’t care what you think.” But he would present it in a way that would make you say “I want to be like him.”
He would ride across this great country in a way that only he could. A Harley-Davidson Motorcycle would be the bike of choice, as both invoke the heart, soul and the lifestyle that this nation and John Wayne represent. Rough and rugged but always a gentleman. Standing the test of time is more than just out-lasting everything else. It is changing the feelings and emotions of those impacted by doing it in a positive way. It is creating a culture that reflects our thoughts and beliefs by example and speaking the words that we’re all thinking. Just say “Harley-Davidson” and there isn’t anyone who wouldn’t know what you were talking about. Say “John Wayne” and the same is true. But the words that are not said are the important ones. Both the man and machine were built from the ground up relying on hard work and the will to rise above the crowd to become the Icon they are today.
It is the emotion that both John Wayne and Harley-Davidson evoke upon us. It’s created who we are as a nation and gives each of us the uniqueness of how we define ourselves today. Even though we are all individuals we have an uncanny knack of believing that good will always triumph over bad, the good guy will always get the girl and we will all ride off into the sunset. It doesn’t always end that way, but we will never give up the notion that it will someday.
Courage. Freedom. Expression. Be yourself and you’ll be better off.
Jeff Maddox 