Deep thoughts for a Monday

Eeeuw, who wants deep thoughts on a Monday? Sorry, but I really don't plan these posts ahead of time, they just kind of "form," and I have to roll with what I've got. If it's too much to process today, just come back tomorrow and try again...(or go back to the previous post and watch the mindless funny dog video again).

I surely didn't come up with these musings on this gray Monday morning, but rather yesterday (Sunday) afternoon during a 32-mile bike ride. So, maybe you can attribute these philosophical ramblings to boredom, dehydration, exhaustion, or some combination of factors. Actually, I like to think of it as God whispering to me when I don't have much else to do but listen. :) These are some lessons I've learned from the seat of my bike:

1. Sometimes it's best to keep your mouth shut. Spring is in full swing here in New Jersey, which in many ways, has been good for cycling: warmer temperatures, beautiful scenery/flowers, etc. However, you can't have spring without BUGS. And, you probably guessed where I'm going with this...I swallowed 2 of them yesterday! (you'd think I would have been a little more careful after the first one) Lesson learned, although in most of life, it's the things that come OUT of our mouth that we need to guard against, not the things flying IN.

2. Hills/challenges often look much worse than they really are. It's all in the perspective. I'm learning that more often than not, a hill that I first spot in the distance can look like it's almost a 45 degree incline from a quarter mile away, but usually when you actually get to it, it's nowhere near as steep as it looked. Challenges in life can be the same, I guess...don't be so intimidated by something that's far off or that you can't accurately size up just yet. Get a little closer and put it in perspective.

3. The challenge in the climb is worth the view from the top. My ride yesterday was in yet uncharted territory for me, and took me around the perimeter of a large recreational lake, skirted by summer cabins and marinas. I first rode north along the west end of the lake, which was very built-up and not terribly hilly. As I returned down the eastern shore, however, it got much more secluded, and the road climbed steadily for quite a ways, fairly steep in some places, and was pretty challenging. However, when the road finally leveled off a bit, and I was able to pause and glance over to my right, the view was absolutely breathtaking of the lake down below, nestled by hills behind. So it is in life, I think...there are some things that just can't be appreciated from the comfort of the valley.

4. God will provide. As I said, this ride took me through some completely unfamiliar territory, and was trusting God and a wadded up map from njbikemaps.com to see me through. About half-way into the ride, I realized I REALLY had to go to the bathroom, and I had a long way to go yet. Mercifully, I spotted a lone gas station/convenience store in the small town at the northern tip of the lake. That was the good news; the bad news was that the restrooms were inside. I stood by the door for a moment trying to figure out what to do. The naive Michigan girl in me was tempted for a second to rest the bike against the glass and run in as quickly as I could...nobody would steal it in broad daylight within a few minutes, right? But, the cynical NJ transplant in me scoffed, "wuddaya nuts?" All I could think of was to bring the bike with me...I opened the door and gently started rolling it in, until the cashier spotted me..."You can't bring that in here. Somebody will trip on it." What kind of reason is that? I just stood there for a moment, hoping she would see how desparate I was and waive the "no bikes inside rule" for just once, but she said it again, this time adding the word "sorry" (guess I did look desparate). What to do? What were my options? I didn't even dare try to find a secluded wooded area to sneak into and go by a tree, because I happened to be wearing my new fluorescent yellow bike jersey that just about glows in the dark. (here's a hint...the color is simply called "High Visibility." Not exactly a feature conducive to a furtive pitstop near a busy road.) I started backing my bike out of the doorway, when a gentle-looking older woman came out of nowhere and said "I can watch your bike for you...go ahead." And so she did. A little thing? Maybe. A coincidence? Maybe. I like to think God sent her. :)

5. Don't judge situations until you know the whole story. I really had no idea how far this whole excursion was going to be, and after I had gone completely around the lake, I had already ridden about 28 miles and still had a ways to go to backtrack where my car was parked. And, maybe it was my imagination, but there seemed to be a lot more hills than on the way out, and much more were uphill going this direction. So, my attitude downshifted into "slow and steady" pace, and I did a lot of actual down-shifting to accomodate my burning thighs. Then I realized the self-conscious, vain part of me was imagining passing motorists (or worse yet, other cyclists) critiquing me for the slow pace I was going, and maybe how ragged I looked. As if mentally confronting them, I thought to myself, "Yeah, but you don't know where I've just been and how far I've gone already..." I think the same applies to life. We have to be careful passing judgment on other people's attitudes or actions...we don't always know where they've been or what they've gone through.

I must confess, not all of my newly-gained wisdom was quite so profound as all this...

6. Sitting on a bike for 2 hours makes your butt sore. Enough said...