I find I’m failing miserably in keeping up with my 365 daily challenge. But one of my resolutions this year, among many, is to not be so self-defeating a person — so, in truth, I overpromised there and will strive to do better! Still, I’ve been trying to keep more regular in posting AND with original photography (despite, again, a simple camera).
For the past couple of months, I’ve been biking a few times a week with my youngest son — and, oh, the enjoyment after 15 years of being off one. (I took the cue from my mom after she lost Daddy this past year — she’s incredible.) While cleaning out a garage, my niece was about to put her old blue Schwinn cruiser out by the curb, but my nephew grabbed it and brought it home to Mama’s, and I adopted her (the bike, affectionately named “Bleu”). She looks new to me!
Now, I know those of you who cycle competitively or have the cool outfitting may chuckle a bit — it’s OK; I would, too — but I’m right where I want to be right now. I’ll never do this professionally or with a team. I’m a middle-aged Mom. I don’t need variable speeds and gears. Although, the padded shorts would be great…under my jean capris, of course. I can accept the awkwardness of the biking situation for now, even on all my self-consciousness, which seems to melt a way a bit with each outing. For now, my son doesn’t care he is out with his mother, and she is forcing him to wear his helmet as we pass his side-glancing friends who are too cool to say hello. Baby boy is just so damned grateful Mom is venturing out with him…and on a bike! He is aware I am out of my comfort zone yet says nothing but, “Mom, you’re doing good!” I love him for that.
Honestly, folks, I am doing damn well just to be stepping out the front door on a humid day, leaving behind basketloads of damp laundry (remember the dryer situation). I’m pushing it to the limit for now in allowing my neighbors to see my broad buttocks straddling a poor, unsuspecting metal frame. (Oh, gosh, is this thing only aluminum?) I know my hair is all akimbo and looking witchy, but I don’t care. I am out with my son and our dogs, and I fly down the steep back ramp of his school through crackling leaves, with a few surprised skateboarding punks turning back around to resume their shared smokes on school grounds. I belong right where I am in this town, on this bike, with my kid.
Baby Boy and I usually go about two miles taking each of our two dogs for a run, and it is sheer heaven to me. Do I care that I look down and, due to my overweight (for now), I imagine that I see tires flattened beneath my girth? No. You’ve got to start SOMEwhere.
Actually, unlocking the bikes and unthreading the lock, untangling the pedals, hoisting them off the front porch bench, and situating myself and the dog on the leash can be a little difficult in starting off. But it is well worth it to glide out of the driveway, being pulled forward by my excited pooch off to find new smells and my son’s cries of how good he feels and how much he loves his regular bike rides with Mom.
So I am fulfilling two resolutions in one outing — regular exercise for me, getting the dogs out and about more often, and spending a patch of quality time with my son during the school/work week. Now, if I can just catch up on my posts, I’ll be doing quite well this year!
I’ll brag that I’m pretty much totally off the sugared sodas — except for my weekly visit to Mama’s. How cool this year is starting off to be!
Anyway, I’ll start taking my quaint pocket camera out and about with us to catch some interesting glimpses around the neighborhood and town this year. Hopefully, they’ll be interesting shots if you can tolerate a bit of blurry and grainy captures. The point is that I find my little existence here to be quite satisfying most days. Life is not exactly what I thought it would be when I was young — less material, less social — but it is much fuller and meaningful than I imagined.
Bike on…and allow for stops, restarts, and even detours. Just start..and if you fall off, get back on and start anew.
