BIKE

A writer friend, Jackie Dishner, recently started a blog about her BIKE philosophy.

I've gotten to know Jackie through e-mail over the course of the past year and have always found her wisdom to be gentle, generous, and right on target. Seeing her courage in starting this new blog inspired me to take action on something I'd wanted to do for a while, too.

My last bike was rehomed before I made the cross-country move in 2004. It was an inherited racing bike, and the wrong size and style for me. Once I landed here in Oregon, I kept meaning to get my bike, but it just kept getting put off, for one reason or another. Why I wanted a bike was pretty clear to me, however. I don't drive much, but do have a car. My morning commute consists of twelve feet of carpet between my bedroom and home office, and the library, grocery stores, and such have all been within walking distance.

But I still wanted to be able to run those other short errands that were just out of walking range, without having to start up the car. And just a couple of weeks ago, my local library branch closed its doors, in the process of relocating to a bigger and better location five miles away. I really didn't want to have to drive to the library several times each week. It just doesn't make sense.

I've always been an active person -- dancing, hiking, and walking mischievous dogs several times each day -- though I went through a prolonged and difficult period several years ago, and my physical strength hasn't been the same since. So I've been determined to actively challenge my limitations, to find out where there really is a wall, and where there's just inertia or fear. Every so often I try something new -- kayaking, rock climbing, contra dancing. I figured maybe it was also time to try something old.

So I bought a bike today.

I'm quickly realizing that being in "hiking shape" is not the same as being in "biking shape," particularly here in the hills, so I'm going to have to work on that.

Jackie's BIKE philosophy makes perfect sense in its simplicity and its demand for action, and the introduction of her blog made me realize that all of the reasons I'd had for not getting a bike -- "not yet" -- weren't really important. I also remembered the bumper sticker on my car: "Don't Postpone Joy."

So taken together -- with the convenient addition of the great deal on the super-nice bike at REI today -- this was plenty of impetus for me to go ahead and take the plunge. Two-wheel traveling to a new way of being.