I bought a bike at a garage sale this week. I have wanted a bike for several years now. I think that I got a good deal. I paid $25 for the bike and $6 to replace the tubes. As I repaired the bike and took my first ride it took me back to being a kid (over 20 years now…man that makes me feel old). I figure at $4 a gallon for gas that a bike would be a good alternative mode of transportation. Well, I took my first bike ride in a long time. It all came back to me relatively quickly-although the hills are a little tougher to climb than they used to be. The beginning of the ride was almost flawless-although a family almost caused me to wreck into some bushes. I faced the dilemma of taking out a 4 year old girl on the sidewalk or crash into a parked car. As I was contemplating my decision her older brother, probably 10, pulled her out of the way. I did find some satisfaction in the scolding that he gave her afterwards for being in the way. He was a good spokesman for me. As I cruised the back streets I felt a certain freedom that comes from riding a bike. It felt good to be out in the summer air and pick up some exercise along the way. It was nice to sightsee and appreciate some of the old architecture that exists in Northeast Pennsylvania. What a beautiful summer day. One thing that I had forgotten was how fast a summer thunderstorm could develop. As I was about 2 miles from home a major thunderstorm started to blow through the area. I had a decision to make. Do I call Heather and have her pick me up and live with the humiliation and ridicule, or do I man up with reckless abandonment and face the storm (fully recognizing that death could be a possibility). I decided to drudge ahead (mainly because I forgot my cell phone and had no way to call Heather). As I began the 2 mile trek back to the house the weather began to worsen. I kept my mental toughness as I watched the storm develop and move toward me. I meditated on the victory that I would feel as I would ride through the storm and return to my Bride. She could speak of my valor and it would be a good teachable moment for Reagan, my 2 ½ year son. Vision of a knight returning from war began to go through my mind as I switched to higher gears and avoided potholes on my quest for survival. As I encountered the storm head on the wind was so strong that it almost pushed me backwards, but I committed to preserving through the storm and making it home. As the rain pelted my face I continued to press forward. I finally made the turn to my house and pedaled the final leg of the tremendous adventure to conquer my quest and receive praise from my family. Apparently, Heather had moved to our front porch in anticipation of my arrival. To my dismay, she was not anticipating the knight in shining armor as I had expected. Further conversation revealed that the motivation to move to the front of the house was not to greet me with applause at all. One could not help to notice her uncontrollable laughter, her desire to tell people what happened… I was surprised (not really) at her glee for her rain soaked husband. It may be worth mentioning at this stage that I bought the bike from a lady who had originally bought it for her daughter. For the record it was not a girl’s bike, I believe that they call it a unisex bike. Granted this does not help with my masculinity. One of the great things about being married for almost 12 years is that you do learn to laugh together about things that may happen. I may not have been a knight in shining armor this day, but it was great to feel like a kid again.
Brad
