I Want to Ride My Bicycle*

Every time I get on my bike, I feel like kicking myself for not getting on it more often. I simply love biking. Today on my way home from work I decided to ditch my plan to go workout at the gym, and instead come home and ride my bike. And that's exactly what I did. Despite the overcast whiteness of a hazy and cool (not cold) winter evening, I thoroughly enjoyed my ride. Besides the fact I always feel better after I have exercised, biking comes with an added benefit. Rather than tune out everything at the gym by blasting music in my earbuds, when I bike, I unplug and become in tuned to everything. For safety, I have never worn earbuds while I ride my bike. This allows me to leave everything (including by phone) at home and ride free of noise. Instead, I am mindful of my thoughts and everything going on around me. I actually find myself writing in my head while I'm riding around. Can you imagine? Other than the shower, or carved out sacred writing time, there is no place or activity that allows me such solitude and oneness with my thoughts. It's funny, one of my friends posted something on FB today about the difference between aloneness and solitude, the first having negative sad connotation, the latter a "gift" we give to ourselves. My bike ride today was a gift of solitude and mindfulness.


Biking on Through

The wind is in my face
I am riding alone
Cheeks flushed
Eyes watering
I can feel my smile

I'm at my own pace
I am riding alone
Senses heightened
Legs pumping
I can feel my heart

The birds are chirping
and the trees are swaying
School is out and it is not yet dark
So the streets are sprinkled with people

On a cul de sac a mom sits in a chair
at the end of the driveway
watching her little ones play in the street
"Hi!" the little boy shouts like we are friends

"Hi!" I shout back as I ride away
watching the leaves skipping along
tiptoeing in the wind
barely touching the street

On the next block a man is walking his dog
They are moving briskly and he smiles
As I ride by I hear him say to the dog
"Good boy, you're a good boy."

In one garage I see two classic cars
One is a VW Beetle convertible
candy apple red with a black ragtop.
My husband would love it

In another garage I see a neighbor
I smile and wave like all friendly people
As I ride by I notice it wasn't my neighbor
It was a mannequin. Oh my!

Just as I round the corner,
A boy is walking his little sister home
He seems to be a good big brother
He is holding her hand

Down the street a ways
Three generations playing together
a giant bouncy ball and four dogs
It is a family circus!

Near my house a woman is jogging,
sort of- she's talking on the phone,
barely getting her feet off the ground
I am glad I left my phone behind.

The wind is in my face
I am riding alone
Cheeks flushed
Eyes watering
I can feel my smile

I'm at my own pace
I am riding alone
Senses heightened
Legs pumping
I can feel my heart


*Just because it goes so well and it's an all-time favorite: