Slow Rider

I rode my bike to the train station today for the first time in weeks. Even with the threat of snow this afternoon, I just felt the need to not drive my car and get a little exercise in the process. It was cold, of course, but I got so much more out of it than I do when I drive.

Don’t get me wrong. I have a car I thoroughly enjoy owning, and I enjoy driving as long as traffic stays out of my way. But this morning’s bike ride to the train station showed me a few things that I was starting to forget about.

The ducks in the little pond at the front of our development are one of those things. The pond had about twenty mallards doing their duck things in it. Some were standing on the little ice island on top of the pond and others were in the water and swimming around. If I had driven, I would have only had a second or two to notice, if I had noticed at all. On my bike, I was able to slow down and enjoy the scene. Quack!

About a third of the way into my ride, I noticed something moving off to the side of the road. I would not have noticed if I was driving, since I would be going past at thirty miles per hour. On the bike, at about one-third that speed, I again had a chance to see a cute bunny rabbit hopping about, trying to find a place hide from me. One of my favorite things about the move to Colorado is the number of bunnies I get to see. We have one living in the bushed right outside our front door. There are quite a few others in various places along my route to the train station and even at the station. I smile every time I see one and get a happy feeling inside. Squee!

Even though I had a bit of exercise on the way to the station this morning, I was more relaxed when arriving and enjoyed my ride to work even more. I’m realizing the Amish have it right in many ways: avoid being too fast. Sometimes life needs to be lived at its own speed, rather than the fastest speed possible.

It did snow today in Denver. Not a lot. Just a few light flurries. It was still snowing when I rode home. I enjoyed that ride, too. I usually ride home quickly, but took my time today. I took my time for two reasons. The first reason was safety. There’s no sense wiping out and giving the drivers a show, possibly injuring myself. The second was to intentionally slow down.

An added bonus was that the snow was forming a sort of warp speed visual effect as I rode in it. Prolonging that felt good. I arrived home happy and relaxed. The best part is, the ride home usually takes less time than the drive.

Weather permitting, I’ll ride again tomorrow. Slowly.

 

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