My walk this morning was cold with crunchy frost on the path, I hurried. On my way back in the house, I closed the garage door and locked it from the inside before I took a minute to walk across the almost empty space. I lifted the corner of the old bedspread for a quick look at my secret The thrill surged through me again. The shiny bicycle is there...waiting.
For the most part, I'm not a big fan of things mechanical With a sense of resentment, I use the technology to make my life easier but I walk away from the more complicated. I prefer my manual can opener to an electric, but I depend on the microwave, computer and car.
The bicycle is different. My first gave me freedom, almost freedom to fly as I explored the city, the orange groves, the near desert on the outskirts and the parks where I honed and tested my riding skills.
My new Sun Cruiser is almost the same bike-built a lifetime later. It has fat tires, wide handlebars, three speeds and brakes that work when you push the pedal backward. Even the bell is the standard ringer that sounds ting-a-ling when you press the handle. This bike spends more time parked under cover than the first.
Commitments I've taken on as an adult keep us both more grounded. I'm not as brave either. It takes more effort to get on the bike now, more space to make a turn and I'm sure I'd break easier if I happened to fall. Those thoughts aren't enough to squelch my interest in an adventure nor the desire to fly again but they do limit the places and time I bring the beautiful cruiser out for a spin. Spring is on the way.