Don’t Listen To the News; Use Your Looking Balls. Look At How Happy Your Neighbors Are To Be Walking and Riding In This Uneasy Time.

In my post yesterday, (sort of) following one of my favorite blogger’s wordless posts, I included one of my favorite quotes of all time.  I like to shorten it during troubled times because I need to keep things simple so as not to get lost in the weeds; I want to be able to say, “Wow, what a ride” when it’s all over.

What am I doing today, right this very moment that’ll help me get there?

This is what I think of when I’m in a snit with my wife.  When I’m having a tough time with a task at work.  When I simply don’t know what to do…  What am I doing right now to get me to, “Wow, what a ride”?

I’ve ridden 26 of the 28 days we’ve had in this month – 18 of those 26 were outdoors.  653 miles (and I’ll get at least another 40-ish today)…  You know what’s stuck out more than the awesome lack of traffic?

Friday, after putting in 30 fun miles with my wife, I went back out to add another ten or so to crank out some hard miles.  My wife is a little anxious because she’s going through the exact symptoms I had last week, but hers have persisted longer than mine.  I think she’s surprised it isn’t worse, but waiting for the hammer to drop at the same time so she doesn’t want to push it by riding too hard.  A feeling I can relate to – and it’s scary.

Four miles into my bonus miles, I rode up to four couples walking down the road, all in the same direction, but spread out more than enough on both sides of the road.  I said to all eight, “You know, I’ve been riding these roads for years.  I’ve never ridden up on four couples out walking, let alone four couples in the space of 40′.  I love it.”

Three couples turned and smiled.  One person responded, “You know, we were just talking about the same thing”.

Friends, I don’t know what things are looking like in your communities, but in mine I’ve seen more good than I can list here.  People aren’t just sitting in their homes, they’re getting off the couch and going for walks.  I’ve seen an unprecedented number of cyclists and bike riders out to get some air pumping through their lungs.  Even at the grocery store, I’ve seen people nod and smile at their fellows with that, “We’re all in this together” wink.

There are going to be those random examples of idiocy and evil.  They are not examples of human nature.  They’re examples of inhuman nature.  Don’t get sucked into anger and self-righteous indignation.  No good can come of it.  I don’t want to skid into my casket thinking, “Wow, I wish…”

As for me, I can’t tell you how glad I am to be a cyclist… actually, relieved might be a better word.