Last summer, I was riding my bike to work. I pedaled down Pacific street right by Elmwood golf course. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining. I had on a checkered short sleeve button-down shirt on, and just riding shorts. I felt free, and equally beautiful. Like I start every ride to and from places I like to go, I started off with pace. I was flying down Pacific street just off of 60th. There were city workers, working on the lights in the intersection and there was a line of cars waiting to go around them, but one motorist decided he didn't want to wait any longer. Just as I pedaled up next to him, he peeled out of the left lane, and right into me and my bike. We both went down hard, my bike and I. We were both damaged-severely. I was bleeding and my bikes chain was off, as well as the bar tape, it was scratches identically to my skin. Road rash is no joke! The driver pulled away in a hurry and I was left thinking I was still going to be late for work. Impact with a car at 25 mph gets your adrenaline pumping, hardcore. I walked back up the street to my house, fixed my bike, put a sign on my pack that said "please don't hit me" and continued to ride back out to work. I got there on time, clocked in on time, and later that night, rode home, with fresh bandages, and neosporin spewing out from them. It was the most painful ride I have ever had to endure, and especially the scariest. I was never any more vulnerable than right after I got hit.
When I got home though, I felt proud. I got up and continued on. I knew the risks involved with riding in traffic. I suffered from them that day, and it was terrible, truly. But I persisted. Not only as a cyclist that day, but as a person. My focus and ambition resemble what my bike resembles. Our ability to sync up together and move to the future in both a physical or geographical sense, but as a person. I think a lot of who I am is represented in this story.
Ride on
No comments:
Post a Comment