Skip to main content

Another Day, Another Ride

And yes I learned another really valuable lesson today. It was a lesson I get to learn over and over: another day, another opportunity for a new point of view.

This afternoon I got to play on that other wheeled transport of mine – the bicycle. I could feel the pull to get out on the road and pedal myself silly. It was crazy windy out but for a change I didn’t care. I settled into a nice easy warm up and my mind was calm and relaxed. It felt good to experience a totally different state of mind than 2 days ago on my guilt trip.

And that got me to thinking how amazing our innate state of being is. It is like a muscle that with some training gets used to functioning on a certain level, vibrating on a certain frequency of equanimity and happiness. Since I have made the conscious choice to devote my life to keep evolving in awareness, that muscle memory makes it easier to find a place of contentment. It remembers. Do you know what I mean?

I picked up Andrew at his house and we took an easy spin around Old Town and settled in a nice cadence. We got to talking about the way people treat each other and how we can get tweaked by another person’s attitude. We talked about not taking things personally. I mentioned the huge ah-ha moment for me being when I finally took full responsibility for that amazing experience called My Life.

We pedaled along for an hour this way talking and enjoying the pace. I smiled thinking how good it felt to be free in that moment. No guilty story. Just present and accounted for. Riding with a friend on a warm spring day.

Just another day and another ride.
See you out there.
J

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

St. Valentines Day

I find it odd that we pick a day in February to celebrate the heart, the emotion of Love, the honoring of those we love. What apparently morphed from some racy pagan festivity into a more buttoned down Christian celebration has now become synonymous with the greeting card maker Hallmark. Hmmm. Regardless of this days origins it has been firmly established in the American psyche (not sure about other countries). Forgetting this day for your beloved, your kids, maybe even your pets, is tantamount to being un-loving. A slouch in the Love department. Nobody wants to be that. What about honoring yourself on this day? Congratulating yourself for making it this far on your journey? And along the way how much love was expressed? How open was your heart as you navigated relationships and all the challenges relationships can reveal? On my late afternoon walk with my two dogs back home these were the thoughts running round my head. And checking in with my heart it felt a bit sad....

Cold Turkey Ain’t All Bad

Warning: If you’re young and healthy and never think about getting older and the world is your oyster and you are under 50 don’t read any further.     “Going cold turkey”.  The connotation is that we are giving something up.  Usually for good.  Things like heroin, or booze, or Oxy.  Things that really aren’t that good for you.   My cold turkey moment was bicycles.  Wait.  Aren’t bikes supposed to be good for you?  Yes, absolutely in theory.   However, in my case, not so much.  Of course, I loved the feeling of riding a bicycle – the rush of the wind, the freedom of motion, the ability to push my limits, and the boost in fitness.   All healthy benefits for sure. Except when crashes happen.  They will and they do. Typically, it’s some road rash or bloody knees and elbows with dirt applied. In my case it’s been all the usual get offs plus head trauma. It’s the “plus head trauma” that has me hanging up the bike for good.  I just can’t seem to keep from bashing my head when I do ...

Actually, Age Isn’t Just a Number

It’s a mindset.  And one that until you reach certain milestones around age, you really don’t think too much about it.  Here are some obvious milestones: Puberty. Getting your driver’s permit at 16. Being able to vote in your first election at 18. Legally able to drink at 21. Then the next couple milestones might be around 30 or 40.  The realization sinks in that you’re not 25 anymore. A deep dive into middle age is on deck. ******* I have felt youthful my entire life.  And by good genetics or a Peter Pan outlook on life I never really felt my age. Turning 50 was no big deal.  Turning 60 also didn’t feel that momentous. I did have a total knee replacement that year and that was an indication that some things with my body were worn out.  But that was a game changing operation allowing me to continue my very active lifestyle pain free. But this past year being 65 has fucked with my head. I see the manifestations of aging showing up on my body. Hair loss. Muscle loss. Whi...