Will Shortz is a smart guy. In early 2005 when asked if he had a New Year's resolution he was working on, he replied:
"You know, I don't make New Year's resolutions. If I think of a way to improve myself during the year, I just do it immediately."
That struck me as good advice, advice worth taking to heart and acting on. Note that this is not a lack of resolve, but rather a resolution to act daily with resolution.
Looking back on 2011, I see the results of resolutions. Not big do or die resolutions but intentions that resulted in the actions that filled the days. Christine decided to buy a bike and ride the Oregon Coast. While that trip was wonderful and beautiful, the smile I see on Christine's face every day when she rides her bike is even more beautiful.
In April the idea of riding a bit, every day resulted in my looking more closely at the place I call home and finding the time for small adventures. Adventures are important and adventures happen day by day.
Or in the dark of night. One recent adventure involved riding all night through the longest night of the year with my friends Mark, David, Scott & Brad. Some folks may ask the question "Why?" as in why ride dark roads and trails on a cold night. I could answer with tales from a world made strange and beautiful by darkness, where a herd of elk is glimpsed in a headlight beam, where thoughts of deep philosophic import are shared among friends, where we find a Kelly Kettle can fuse itself to a plastic picnic table even in freezing weather, where true fine dining is found at 3:00 AM in a mini-mart in Fall City and where nothing tastes better than morning coffee after an all-night ride. Those are all answers with their own truth but the truest best answer is the one given by those friends who know the right answer is "Why the hell not?" and ride with you.
And so we ride.
We, who are on the road, must have a code that we can live by. In 2011 my friend Tarik wrote it down and it's good:
1) RIDE BIKES
2) TRY NOT TO BE AN ASS
Words to live by.
I wish you the very best adventures in 2012.
Keep 'em rolling,
Kent "Mountain Turtle" Peterson
Issaquah WA USA
Wishing you and yours the happiest and safest of New Years,Kent,happy trails :)
ReplyDeleteSteve in VA
That's a great code to live by... I might have a few more things on my list but that's a great start!
ReplyDeleteHappy new year!
Ride bikes and try not to be an ass. I think I can pull that off. Happy New Years! Jack
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to you and Christine for a great 2012 from the mountains of Western North Carolina!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this post as I find it to be quite complementary to my own post ending the year.
- Zeke
I live on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska, so fun events like riding all night are sometimes not even possible! However this summer I'm biking across America and hope to immerse myself fully in the cycling world and its amenities! Visit my blog and help me go viral!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.johnsamericabiketour.blogspot.com
Thanks and Happy New Year!
Love biking! and I will not be an ass!!
ReplyDeleteMy father lives in Issaquah and just purchased a bicycle. He is in his mid 60's and is in fairly good shape. He really wants to take up biking again and I thought this would be a good forum for him to learn about the biking community in Issaquah. Do you have any advice for him as he starts to bike the roads of Issaquah?
ReplyDeleteHi techteacher,
ReplyDeleteI have three bits of advice. First off I suggest any new rider anywhere visit: http://bicyclesafe.com/
Second, he should get a copy of the King County Bike Map. I try to have some at the shop but my current supply is pretty low. I think the Issaquah library has a few copies as well.
Third, I'm always happy to chat with riders. (Folks will tell you that I'm a chatty guy!) I'm at work at the Bicycle Center in downtown Issaquah on Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday.
I hope your dad has fun with his bike.
Excellent post and advice. I give you two thumbs up for the "ride all night", you have really sparked my imagination. Riding my bike is easy enough, however, trying not to be an ass is a daily zen-like challenge for me. A Bodacious New Year to All.
ReplyDelete