Topic: Dailies

Already There

by

Leo Crocker Rogers

It was a mere 95 temperature in the shade today, and it has been six months since I have cycled more than a scant few miles. Today, my jaunt was eastward with the wind. Being as under-powered as a rubber band trying to power a Boeing 747, I was slow even with the wind. But I made it to the turn around and without a nod, I headed home. Out-and-backs are great. Getting there feels like an accomplishment and getting home does too. On the way today, with the wind I wished it were the other way, wind in my face going out and wind at my back coming home when tired. It feels so very good to bring the speed up on the way home. When you have to slug it out to get home, it is sort of ... well a job ... unless, unless, off in the distance you see another cyclist. Perhaps, he is just a dot on the slight land rise ahead. He may be a mile away even more. Wearing a high-visibility green jersey, he was there today, and he was a hope ... and that hope changed my pedal cadence. He was there, and I was here, but I could and would be there and there again and again until he and I would be wherever at the same time. It is called reeling him in. Sort of like catching a fish ... you speed up a bit, trying to time the lights when before it did not matter, and crank by crank you bring him in. You catch glimpses and try to see if the pin dot is becoming larger. Unfortunately, for me, the dot remained just a dot. Tough going into the wind. So more power was needed. The rubber bands needed to be wound a bit tighter. Head down, pushing down and pulling up the pedals with weak legs but not letting the wind have its way, I plowed on for some five miles hoping the green dot would grow larger. It was really a bummer when I caught a red light. A red light can mean a 1/4 mile separation. But even so, I had something that was pulling me. The green dot. Then, unfortunately, the dot disappeared. Now that is really sad when the fish breaks free of the line. Nothing to chase. But I was on pace, driving the pedals firmly and with purpose. I no longer needed the green dot. I was self motivated. Happily, I clicked off the miles, and then, and then the dot was there again and larger than before. He may have caught a couple of red lights or maybe he was just getting tired. I was on the hunt. Pedals to the metal, he grew larger and larger until he was just a 100 yards away. The catch was there, and then disaster. He caught a green, and I, the following red. Bye bye bye green man. And he, not even knowing I was in pursuit, pulled away. But now I was out of the saddle coming up to speed quickly. How fast was I going? I had no idea. The hot sunlight made my speedometer numerals all go to 8s and then disappear. But I was moving. Slowing just a bit to time green lights and coming out to the saddle as if I had the strength to make a difference, I drew him in again. And finally, I said those glorious, glorious words, "On your right." (He was strong left.). He thought I had come out of heaven. Heck no. I had come from some 10 miles back. Neat. He was now slower than I, but we traveled a bit together as he chatted. Leaving a red light, I said, "Let me pull you for a while." You know, just being able to say those words when an hour before I was limping along trudging the miles to home, was exhilarating. Wow. And I pulled ahead and took the speed to what I felt was about 21 mph. It was easy. Just reeling him in, I had been near 20 mph most likely, and with the little rest I had in talking with him, I was JATO to go. I did not look back but pulled for a couple of miles. When we hit a red light, he was close on my six. He thought that was absolutely great being pulled. Me too. What a turn around from my first getting out the door to do my first ride in a long time.

Marriage is the meeting of the sky and the earth. It is not the line of demarcation between the man and woman but the union thereof. Marriage is the cultural handrail that protects and guides. It is the left eye seeing just a bit differently than the right and together their seeing even better together. Any regrets to union? "Ah no." says the sky. "Ah no." says the earth. And so let it be.

We are not poor mortals climbing up a mountain breaking nails, cutting fingers, and busting knees in arduous labor to be "a city upon the hill" as Jesus said. He said that we "are" that city, not "we will be". He said we ARE the salt of the earth. I was tired and in labor on my ride, and a green dot made me strong. Not really. I was already strong. I was already the city upon the hill, the salt of the earth. I just needed to realize it. Thanks green dot.

Thanks to all those who, not even so knowing, are out in front of us pulling us, giving us hope, and allowing us to realize we are already strong, already ready to do what needs to be done.

Thanks to all the married couples that find a union that makes for better generations to come. Thanks to their strength to stay together, to pull the other when he/she is weak and to be grateful to be pulled when the other is strong.

We are the city upon the hill be we cyclist or husband or wife. We are strong. We are the light. We are the salt of the earth. We are there. Good feeling.