Lindy's Last Road Ride Report: Not so Lucky

I began riding a motorcycle again in 2003 at the age of 45. After 5 years and 60,000 fun filled miles it all came to an abrupt halt on Sunday, January 11th. I was traveling from Arlington ,TX where I attended a track coaches clinic all weekend. My wife Marni was a bit worried about me riding the bike in the Dallas area but I assured her I would be careful and when coming home on Sunday morning traffic would be light. So the clinic was great and I packed the bike for the chilly ride home. The high for the 11th would be low 50's so I geared up with 3 layers on bottom and top and wore my usual safety gear(Full face helmet, padded jacket, full leather gloves, insulated steel toed mc boots). With the gear, wide windshield, and heated grips I was quite comfortable. Traffic was light and I zipped down I-30 from Arlington to Mt. Vernon in no time. I stopped for fuel for the bike and myself and called home to tell the family I would be home within an hour. I had every intention to ride I-30 to New Boston but made a last second decision to exit on Hwy 259 and from there ride Fm 561 to 98 to NB. 561 is one of my favorite roads. Curvy and hilly with good sight lines. I was probably 3 miles down 561 when I see a green pickup turn left into a drive about 200 yards(I think, it's all kind of fuzzy now) in front of me. I saw another pickup sitting near the road in the same area so I slowed a bit but proceeded. As I neared the green truck, it suddenly was in reverse and blasting in the road. What happened next is all a blur but I evidently braked so hard that my rear tire locked up and the bike started skidding around until I did a 180* and went back first into the truck. (When a TX DPS officer came to see me in the hospital later that day he said that's what it looks like happened). I do not remember the impact at all. Evidently I was knocked out for awhile because my next memory is laying in the road with all these people around me. I thought I'm dreaming this, but why does my back hurt so bad. Then people are talking to me. I said I'm taking this helmet off and they said no but i did it anyway. Then a lady asked if I had a cell phone and I said yes and she started calling my family. I realized this was real when I was laid out in the back of the ambulance for the ride to Texarkana.