I get back on my bike and almost pet it and whisper, "I've missed you!" I pedal down my alleyway on the coldest morning in a long time. I leave my long sleeve shirt on the whole ride. I still walk up some hills, but think how revived I feel and that my butt is thankful for yesterday's day off. Today I am singing out loud to myself the whole ride. I feel more at ease today and begin to feel like I belong in the biker community. When I get to sixth avenue downtown, traveling a slightly different way to mix it up, I watch the biker directly in front of me almost collide with a car backing into a parking spot. I am reminded of why I used to be so nervous at the prospect of riding a bike in traffic. The lady driver just started to parallel park right into that guy and didn't even notice him until he slapped her car to prove a point, like "Helloooo dummy! I'm right here!" I pull up next to him at the stop light. Me: "That'll wake you up!" Rider: "She was on her bluetooth, the crazy!" Small laughter is exchanged between us and I understand that I'm officially a biker now. i ride the rest of the way uneventfully.
On my ride home in the afternoon I feel so fresh and still renewed from the day off. As I ride on Eastlake, I avoid three cars parallel parking and a biker zooms by. "They're out to get you today, aren't they?" he laughs. I smile unphased. Today when I get to Belltown, I'm not bothered by happy hour scents wafting past my nose. I just feel so good. I do cheat and go down the elevator for the first time out of a bit of laziness. I wind around the shipyards and easily pedal over the lower bridge. Today it seems that all the street lights are programmed in my favor and I zoom across the Marginal intersection without even waiting at all. Phil is on standby to come pick me up before the big hill. I push myself to do it myself and surprise him. I take my time going all the way up, up, up in first gear. I feel like the little engine that could. I keep repeating, "you can do it. you can do it." Over and over. As I reach the Junction, I break into a huge smile and almost expect the people on each corner to start cheering and the neighboring cars to start honking their horns in a congratulatory way for me. I arrive home and ring the bell. Phil is stunned to see that it's me and he gives me a big fat congratulatory kiss. Well....that works too! I made it all the way to and from school by myself riding my bike, and I was pretty quick too!
On my ride home in the afternoon I feel so fresh and still renewed from the day off. As I ride on Eastlake, I avoid three cars parallel parking and a biker zooms by. "They're out to get you today, aren't they?" he laughs. I smile unphased. Today when I get to Belltown, I'm not bothered by happy hour scents wafting past my nose. I just feel so good. I do cheat and go down the elevator for the first time out of a bit of laziness. I wind around the shipyards and easily pedal over the lower bridge. Today it seems that all the street lights are programmed in my favor and I zoom across the Marginal intersection without even waiting at all. Phil is on standby to come pick me up before the big hill. I push myself to do it myself and surprise him. I take my time going all the way up, up, up in first gear. I feel like the little engine that could. I keep repeating, "you can do it. you can do it." Over and over. As I reach the Junction, I break into a huge smile and almost expect the people on each corner to start cheering and the neighboring cars to start honking their horns in a congratulatory way for me. I arrive home and ring the bell. Phil is stunned to see that it's me and he gives me a big fat congratulatory kiss. Well....that works too! I made it all the way to and from school by myself riding my bike, and I was pretty quick too!
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Please let me know what you thought as you read my post. Did you have a connection? Did you laugh? What were your "wows" and what were your "wonderings"?