It has been a tough two weeks for America.
Sometimes it just feels like it is too much. “Stop the world, I want to get off!” But we keep going because we have no choice. Time is linear. The past is history. Each new second is an opportunity, whether we like it or not.
Today I am dead-ass tired. Yesterday I rode my bike 82 miles, and climbed 7,000+ feet, including Mt. Diablo. Why? Because I am dying – we all are dying. Most of us die slowly at our own hands, others die in tragic instants by the hands of others. In between, nature’s dice takes the rest.
Riding my bike is an explicit statement about living. It’s about a stronger heart and lungs, muscles and bones. It’s about using or losing it. It’s about un-needed weight coming off not on. Its about being around people with the same crazy notions that what they do for a second, or minute, or 6.5 hours, in this case, makes a difference. But mostly it is about taking a moment to enjoy my life, with no extra charge for the pain.
Today, I am off with my son to see the Giants. Win, lose, rain (60% predicted) or shine, I am reaching for a ‘two-fer’ - back-to-back days of consciously savoring each second of life as precious, against the headlines.
James C. Collier
Update: Giants win 2-1, sweeping their series with Arizona; Barry Bonds hit home run no. 740 and is still a jerk; it was sunny; and most important - my son and I had a great time.
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Technorati Tags: Acting White: Beating the Devil, Mt. Diablo, WhyNotThrive, Road Cycling, Heart Training, Acting White
Jim, sounds like you had a lot better day than I did. I worked. You're so right about that consciously savoring of life.
ReplyDeleteDennis, the Alpine Loop just west of 'the farm' is a great break from the office/lab. All work and no play...
ReplyDeleteWork hard, play hard. I like that you noted at the end the most important part, you and your son. For me, at the end of the day, that's what it's all about - relationships, especially with my husband and children.Oh and p.s., you're quite welcome. I have been lurking here for quite some time, just drinking in what you write. You just about got a publisher lined up yet?
ReplyDeleteYo James good post I too love bike riding, just went riding last sunday thru Rock Creek Park in Washington DC, actually saw a lot wildlife including 3 beavers. Imagine that beavers in Washington DC good post.
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