Monday was the first time I have been alone for the day in weeks. All three of the kids were off doing their various activities and I awoke to an apartment free of noise. For me, this was like a minor miracle had been placed in my lap to enjoy and ogle at like a newborn. So after a slow start that involved getting ready in a home free of television or radio noise, I headed out of the house to just go ride around town.
Deciding I was hungry, I headed over to Café Gratitude. Now I subscribe to neither the vegan nor the macrobiotic way of eating, but the food in this place is pretty good and it is not a restaurant I would normally take the kids. All of the food is named by some type of personal affirmation- a latté with almond milk is called an " I Am Loved" and when served this is what you are told as you are handed your coffee, "You are loved". This is a bit over the top to me, but again, this was about being somewhere I would not normally bring the kids. At Café Gratitude, there is a daily question (just as there is a daily special), and Monday's was "What are you liberating yourself from?". I had to chuckle as this is the question I have asked the Flickr group- how do you find liberation with your bike?
My bike gives me the opportunity to liberate myself from the crowd, and on occasion, my family. Even if it is just a trip to the store, that short ride is all I need, sometimes, to recharge.
A good, long ride can help me liberate myself from my own, frequently, heavy mind. Concentrating on the road, making sure I notice my surroundings, I am able to drop the noise that thunders through my head.
Sometimes, my bike just gives me enough time to enjoy my coffee on my own terms. There is not enough I can say about how healing that can be.
Usually, though, it ends up being about just taking advantage of having the liberty to ride. I find that that is, almost always, reason enough.
I like that coffee cup and holder on the handlebars.
ReplyDeleteI fancy one of those for me...
WestfieldWanderer & I are thinking along the same lines--- Oh, I so need one of those coffee cup holders for my bikes.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely feel totally liberated each time I am on my bike. My new thrill is the rare moments I get to ride at night, going somewhere without my kids. Going downtown to eat dinner or see a movie adds such an incredibly fun dimension to an evening out.
For those who like their coffee on the run
ReplyDeletehttp://somafab.com/morningrush.html
Sara- I, too, love riding at night. Way less traffic is always a good thing, but what I like best is being able to see what is going by. The car goes to fast to really see things in the dark.
I've been eyeing that same coffee cup holder. Do you use it as your mount for your light too? Does the mount come off easily if you don't want it cluttering your handlebars all the time?
ReplyDeletedreamlet- I do not use the mount for my lights as my lights are built into my bike. The mount is "Cateye" compatible, though. It is really easy to take on and off, and does so without tools.
ReplyDelete