It's not very often I can honestly tell someone "you are one of the most interesting people I've ever met in my life." Because I have met some fascinating people.
My friends know writing for bikers is one of my specialties. That's how I met Wiley.
Wiley was stopped at a light when he was hit by a guy in a Chrysler 300; the driver was too busy changing stations to watch the road.
Wiley was creamed. He held on for 85', until the force of the impact sent him crashing into an SUV. One witness said he and the bike "flew through the air for about 35'".
Wiley never let go of his bike, hanging onto the handlebars for dear life. He weighs about 315 and is strong as a bull; the bars were bent down to his knees when they pried him off.
Cops declared it vehicular homicide because they didn't expect Wiley to live.
The driver of the Chrysler got a ticket for about $82. Wiley ... well, his life is changed forever.
I was asked to interview Wiley for video some weeks back. I actually wound up interviewing Wiley with his wife Susan. My friend Brad - a brilliant editor - is editing the video this week and felt it needed photos of Wiley after the accident.
Wiley called this morning to say he finally found the photos and would be happy to meet me at Hooters on Fort Myers Beach. This is the third time we've met, I feel the attachment you feel for any genuinely good person who is enduring a hard time. So it figures, I was NOT ready to see photos of him taken immediately after the accident.
We spent time choosing the right photos and lapsed into conversations about general stuff not related to the accident. He has to get sick of talking about it by now. We both drank iced tea and talked until the music got so loud I couldn't hear him any more.
I told him where I was planning on kayaking on Sunday and his face lit up - he said he grew up near Mound Key. I asked if he'd ever seen anything supernatural out there and he said he saw a "ball of fire" land on Mound Key during a thunderstorm.
I asked him if the mangroves are dangerous. He paused and said "well, there ARE rattlesnakes and water moccasins."
I told him I'd been warned about snakes dropping into kayaks. He paused again … I noticed he always paused before saying something he knew might scare me.
He said "yeah, it happens."
I asked HOW, imagining some diabolical Far Side-style snake scenario and he replied very simply; "no, people just catch them off guard sometimes."
Well, they don't have thumbs or fingers, so imagine if they're shocked they're going to drop. Don't panic - yeah, right. One more reason to buy a sit on top kayak where nervous snakes can't get trapped in the cockpit with your bare legs.
He said you REALLY don't want to get bit by a cottonmouth - he said the pain is unbelievable. "Even your hair will hurt."
Wiley used to keep his fishing poles in his truck and "someone at work" kept stealing them. So he caught a 4' Rattler and let him nestle in the nooks and crannies in the truck bed. Sort of a "guard snake".
The next time he went out there, he could tell things had been disturbed but nothing was taken:-)
He says after the snake "got out" he had to keep checking under his seat to be sure he was really gone.
Wiley said the large pythons they've been talking about in the Everglades are here now. Then he showed me his gator bites ... not the snacks, which he says are delicious; but actual scars on his hand. He caught a 4' gator and took him to school to show the kids. He got distracted and BOOM. As he was prying it off he said "kids, this isn't how you catch a gator."
I recently met someone who produces for PBS ; he's working on something about area pollution right now. Wiley talked about a time when you'd get up in the morning and the bay would be pink with flamingoes. I may try to get the two together ... Wiley has such a powerful “Grisly Adams” style presence and great delivery.
He talked about the history of the area, how they filled in the bay so they could build the bridge to Fort Myers Beach. How before they filled it in it was deep; in the early days pirates anchored ships there during hurricanes.
I could have talked to him for hours; and probably will next time.
My friend Rachael - who grew up on Sanibel - says anyone who has fallen in love with this area MUST read “The Land Remembered”.
I am absolutely going to buy the book.
http://patricksmithonline.com/alr.html?OVRAW=A%20Land%20Remembered&OVKEY=summary%20of%20a%20land%20remembered&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=55728659011&OVKWID=39668613511
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