[LEMONS] 11.09.2001
As I was getting ready for work this morning, I couldn't help but think how I've got the energy and motivation for new endeavors again--energy and motivation that was lost last month and the month before. Months when too many horrible things to catalogue happened, but also a time when I quit, for the most part, riding my bike. I still did on occasion, but not every day. Not even regularly. That's changed again. I looked at myself in the mirror as I said goodbye to Harper, with my yellow sunglasses, sweatshirt, bag with lights, and one pant leg rolled up, and it occurred to me how important it is to get back up on your bike. In hard times, you've got to take the time to renew yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually (or at least I do). and I thought about this while I was riding my bike to work today. The city looked fresh and bright again. I saw a new Jerusalem. The streets are my playground. While other people are stuck on busses, packed in like canned fish, I'm outside doing bunny hops. I was literally laughing out loud while on the way to work I was having so much fun. You don't see anyone on the bus laughing. And if you see people in their cars chuckling, it's because they're being entertained, not because they're having fun. So it was this amazing morning, all warm and introspective and giddy. And as I was coming up to a red light, a woman got out of a car in the street without pulling to the curb and opened her door up on me. WHAM! Over the handlebars and smack into a fire hydrant. Unlike my last (and only other major) spill, this really fucking hurt. It took me a few minutes to get up. The woman picked my bike up for me and began apologizing profusely. She stood over me making sure I was alright until I got up. I told her I was, took my bike from her, and started again. I told her it was okay, and it was because I was and from the look on her face I could tell she wasn't *ever* going to open a door in the middle of the street again--certainly not without looking. Luckily I'd been coming to a red light, so I was slowing down. I also had a chance to hit my brakes for a second or two before I went over. So I wasn't hurt badly, just bruised and shaken up. But it seemed to bring things full circle for me, the importance of getting back on your bike. Not just in a metaphysical sense, but really--get back up on your bike. It was like a lesson within a lesson for me
- l i n k -
