Sunday, May 15, 2011

It Isn't Always Fun And Games

We spend a lot of time pointing out how much fun bicycles are. Mostly because it is easy. Bicycles are fun, but they are so much more than that. They are how so many of us get to the various places we need to be, how we carry our things, how we navigate our world.

Sometimes they are there at the end. Tienanmen Square, June 4th, 1989.

found here.

Sometimes they are how we feed our families. Hanoi, Vietnam
http://hanoi.travel/wiki/images/7/7e/Cyclo_carrying_used_bicycles.jpg
found here

Sometimes they are how we dream of a better world to grow up in. Slovakia

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01381/Bicycle_1381341i.jpg
found here

Sometimes they are how we fight our wars. These soldiers jumped out of their airplane with their bicycles attached to them! Somewhere in Europe in WW2.

http://bcoy1cpb.pacdat.net/BSA_beach_landed_from_LCIL299_detail_rt.jpg
found here

Sometimes, a bicycle is the only way to feel normal when nothing else does.

http://cdn.wn.com/pd/55/f6/6679598bf94d99093c9546170564_grande.jpg
I have no idea who to credit this shot to, but I will if given the info.

Sometimes, a bicycle is the only way to get away. Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo.

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/images/news/2006/katanga2.jpg
found here

So the next time you get on your bicycle, smile and enjoy the breeze in your face knowing that what you are pedaling could easily mean a great deal more in just a small change of circumstances.

6 comments:

  1. A post worthy of reflection. In the coming years, as we hit a population of 10 billion, I believe that more and more people will be / need to be, turning to bicycles for commuting and convenience.. North America included.

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  2. You are right, it's not all fun and games--it's life and death too. Thank you for this post and giving us a global perspective on bicycles and bicycling.

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  3. Nice blog here! It's quite amazing how different people all over the planet use bicycles in different ways and they're becoming the way forward for conveneint personal transport!

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  4. 'Count your blessings" is such a cliche. I'm hardly religious, but that's what's running through my head right now. How fortunate are we, that we get to choose our modes of conveyance, and list "fun" as a deciding factor in that choice. We have it really good, and we should be aware of that fact.

    Count your blessings.

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  5. Great post. I think about this a lot. My bike serves a useful function and I'm lucky that I enjoy it and can manage it physically. It might seem like just another source of fun but for many people it is how they get to work, necessary for carrying out their daily responsibilities, and a their most valuable possession.

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  6. The Bicycle .. Mankind's silent historical Witness since its invention .. (to Doomsday, probably!)

    Let's enjoy our bike-ride and be thankful ...
    (Ooops have to rush for appointment at IMH*)
    *Institute of Mental Health.
    L ;)

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