I have not seen John Lewis in 60 years or so and only talked with him once which was about a year ago. However, I often think about him and the motorcycle rides he gave me as a child. I also remember how he taught me to rig up a model T coil and a spark plug so flames would blow out of the exhaust pipe. In my mind, I can still see flames blowing out of the dual vertical exhaust pipes that he had on his truck. What a sight!
One of the reasons I am reminded of him is the fact that I became owner of an old bent up 500 gallon water tank that used to belong to my father. It got bent up when it was full of water and chained to the truck that John Lewis turned over so many, many years ago.
He was my hero and the image of him flying past our old store in Faught, Texas on his motorcycle is etched in my brain. He could have taught movie stars a thing or two about riding motorcycles.
Now, these stories may seem like an odd tribute to a man, but he and his father, inspired me, a shoeless poor country bumpkin, to be creative, to explore and think for myself. I do have to admit that the "thinking for myself" part often landed me in trouble with my mother.