Easy Rider: Jean Myers, 90, takes first ride on motorcycle
By Melanie Tuckerof The Daily Times Staff
Originally published: July 14. 2008 3:01AM
Last modified: July 13. 2008 9:31PM
On June 8, Jean Hutchins Myers gathered with family and friends to celebrate a milestone -- her 90th birthday. On July 5, she donned a pink motorcycle helmet and marked one more thing off her to-do list.
This resident of Broadway Towers said it was her first time ever on a motorcycle. Her grandson, Alan Myers, arrived at her home to pick her up, and she said why not.
"I told Alan that I was probably the only family member who hadn't been on his motorcycle," Myers said. That's all it took for him to offer an invitation.
"Yes, it was my idea," she confessed.
Alan took his grandmother for a short spin around Maryville. On hand to witness the event were Alan's girlfriend Mandy Ricks and her son Mickey, and Alan's mother, Peggy Gilmore Myers. Alan had taken his mother on a lengthier ride the day before.
"It was a beautiful day, Mrs. Myers said. She said she always believed riding on a motorcycle was a balancing act and one she couldn't manage. She now has a new perception.
"It wasn't tippy or anything," she said.
Myers moved to Blount County in 1955 and has called Broadway Towers home now for less than two years. She has three children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She has also lived in Greenback.
A member of Highland Presbyterian Church, she spent several years volunteering with the Good Neighbors program that helps needy families. She became a member of the Blount County Ecumenical Action Council the year it began.
While she did enjoy her one and only motorcycle ride, she isn't planning any more. She said it has become hard to sit for any extended time. Alan was the perfect driver, she added. She was never afraid.
Myers will be making a trip to Wisconsin soon to visit her younger sister, Mary Lou Lindow. They have traveled together over the years by bus, train and cruise ship.
"I love to travel," she admitted, although she has slowed down a bit recently.
A regular at Olympia Athletic Club, this 90-year-old said water aerobics are what keep her moving. She has maintained good health for most of her life.
She had no idea who submitted her photo to The Daily Times, but she was aiming to find out. "It's a good thing I am good-natured," she said.