counting my blessings - perseverance of the bicycle commute
I bought another bike a few years afterwards, but this one is my favorite.
I ride in all seasons, as long as the path is not icy, or unplowed, or wet. Wet is no fun, but cold can be dealt with by more layers.
My ride to work is only 6 and a half miles. But it can take me 30-45 minutes, depending on how my legs are feeling. It's all hills. I'm riding in comfort, not speed. Also, I am less about the destination and more about the journey. This journey is my blessing.
I listen to a podcast, or the news, or some music. I get to hear the critters on the parts of the path that are off the road. I see the same faces over the years. Some have nicer bikes than me. Some are older than me. Some are walking. Some sleep in the woods off the path. In the winter, I see fewer people out, mostly those who do not have options. A couple are true believers in year round cycling in Connecticut.
I like the time on my bike to think. Even when I have my earbuds in, my brain will drift from the words, distracted by the views up the Thames River, or pursue an idea mentioned as an aside. I will think about what I will make for dinner or which child I need to pick up from somewhere.
The bicycle commute is a buffer between work and family. The exercise can destress me, except when cars nearly brush me off the road, which happens more often than it should. On those occasions, I consider my mortality.
To choose the harder, slower thing usually ends up as with the greater reward.
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