Exploration

Bugs are hitting my chest, my legs are pushing around the crank arms, and the wind is blowing by my ears in a way that make it impossible to hear the sedans and minivans whizzing by in such a rush that they make me a just another component in their obstacle course to happiness. The reality of the situation is, they just passed it. It was me, riding my bike. A bicycle is something that transforms a person. It is newly found freedom to the child, adventure to the teen, and transportation to the urbanite. For me, all of these are true when the saddle is my recliner, the road is my Sunday football game, and the passing scenery is my commercial breaks from the stress of life. I am removed from the work schedules, friendship drama, and never ending to-do lists. I am transported to a new world of exploration.

So many people have simply seized to explore. This seems to happen as people transition from childhood to adulthood. When a child's sense of adventure becomes the sun at dusk, the child's mother calls s/he home for safety. What if this safety of walls, roofs, and televisions was abandoned. When a person enters the world with such an adventurous spirit, there is truly so much to discover. The problem seems to be a settling for the routine. Americans need to get out and explore, dive into adventure, ride into a risk or two.

Through this space of an online blog, I am going to share my stories of exploration. Some will be stories of riding a bicycle, some on the "L" train in the city, some will be in the car. All will include interaction with self, others, earth, and God.