Joe Rich
Today was beautiful out. The past few days were a bit colder and I couldn't wait to get out and pedal around in the sunshine. I feel so at home on that pedal contraption that I’ve been riding for 20 years. Zooming down the street never felt better than it did today. Nothing came between me and anywhere I wanted to go. Traffic seems to move in slow motion. Knowing exactly how much time you have in each situation comes naturally after all this time. The streets are an amusement park, but there are no lines to stand in, only lines to create throughout the landscape. Sometimes I wonder how after 20 years, manualing and jumping curbs still feels this good. Today, the time spent on my bike was uplifting. It took me away to a different state of mind and that feeling didn't stop, even after I had pedaled no more. When I wasn't pedaling anymore, it was because I came across 3 friends at my favorite coffee house who were out enjoying the day themselves. Apart from actually riding, my bike brings me to good situations time and time again. Even when I don't know what route that I'm going to take, it is as if a tractor beam that I am unaware of, latches on and pulls me in the direction that would make me the happiest. Sometimes there are turns that you make at the last minute, that end up being the best decision. Whether it’s something new to ride, something you see that you would have missed, or running across someone you would rather see than ride by… the magic happens when it needs to.
So that was today. I’ve felt this many times, and I feel lucky to have found something that still makes me feel this way for as long as it has. There are times when my bike has seemingly left me down and out. Times of being injured that felt like the end of the world. But in hindsight, the downtime ended up being just what I needed—time to pay attention to other interests that I would have continued to pass up because of being solely focused on the BMX. Its almost as if it was my bike's way of telling me:
"Hey, take a look around, there is more to life than just me. I'm flattered that you devote all your time and efforts to me, but there are other things that you are interested in. I know things about you that you can't see yourself right now. So take a little bit of time, its going to be tough at first, but you'll thank me in the end. After all this time we have spent together, there is no way I would let you down."
Riding my bike has taught me in ways I couldn't find in school. At least not at the time. It reminds you day after day that anything is possible. That we can do anything we want. It has taught me about fully committing myself when there is something that I want. When I think about it, doing a 25 stair rail is no different than making any tough decision in life. You stand at the top with no reassurance of what is going to happen. You weigh the consequences vs. the feeling of rolling away from it clean. You have no one that can help you or make this happen except yourself. There are fears, there are dreams. We’ve all felt this in so many different aspects of life. Sometimes we turn away and realize it’s just not worth it, Sometimes we turn away and give up our dreams because we don't think it’s worth it. But there are times when everything goes silent and you focus in on what you need to do. There are no other options. And then that moment happens when it all comes together… ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! And with that, I have no words left to say. That's what riding my bike means to me.
- Joe
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