More Miles

Late-lee, I have been thinking about a recent bike ride my husband and I went on. He was so cute! He will occasionally agree to go with me so I was happy for the company. It was a beautiful day, so why not get out there and enjoy it, right? All was well for the first 3 miles. We were zipping around the island like professional bikers. We were scoping out the hidden trails eager to keep riding. He would slow down when he made his way too far ahead, so we could talk and enjoy one another’s company in the balmy salt-air breezes. Great, right?

By the time we made it around to the beautiful inn on the island, he decided to do a mileage check. I sweetly informed him we were at mile 4 and we should return to the parking lot where our truck was located in about 6 or so miles. Unfortunately, he is hard of hearing, and he thought I said we would get there at mile 6, so he’s thinking only 2 more miles…only…

Off we went still scoping out things as I checked my Garmin and saw the miles clicking off. I started noticing he was standing up on his pedals a good bit more. I noticed his shirt was getting wetter with sweat. He also seemed to be speeding up a bit more and only now and again would he do a check to see if I was still trailing behind. I had already decided, “why should I quickly ride when I could slow down the pace a bit and enjoy the scenery, the breezes, and the quiet of the day that allowed me to escape into my thoughts.” Let him race the miles away, either way…we are still covering the same distance. Keep in mind, I’m still picturing a Hallmark movie scene, but apparently, his thoughts had him imagining a scene from Friday the 13th where he was being chased by Jason!

I kept noticing we were going mile after mile and when we hit the 6 miles I thought it would take us to get there (so mile 10), we still weren’t close. Maybe I should have said 6ish miles! My husband is not rowing with just one oar, he’s a smart man. He knew we still had a ways to go to the car and that we had just ridden at least 6 more miles, so the look on his face (like he had gotten a burr in his saddle) when he stopped for a second told me I had better come up with something good to say. So in my sweetest voice I said, “This has been so nice today! I’m so glad you and I came to spend this time together and enjoy the beautiful afternoon.” I opened my arms wide so he could truly take in the beauty of the island I was trying to sell him at this point. Let’s not forget, I”m still imagining a Hallmark scene, but since he had already drifted off into horror movie scenes, his response wasn’t quite as nice…tee hee! We happened to stop at some historical graves at that point. He walked around them reading the information on the markers. I was imagining he was actually sizing them up because he was going to cancel my birth certificate since I was the root of his sore behind! If… he had heard me, we could have gone down one specific road that would have taken us back to our vehicle in probably less than one mile. LOL!

The last 3 miles (we ended up riding 13), were quiet. I was really enjoying myself, because when I looked at things from my perspective, I felt accomplished, healthier for having made the ride, and a little bit giggly because I knew what he was thinking. Don’t get me wrong…I am sure he enjoyed being out there, but it was easy to see his goose was got! He rode the remaining distance faster than a hot knife slicing through butter…and mostly while standing up on the pedals!

People who know me well, know I’m going to find the bright side and am always looking for the lesson to be learned in any situation I find myself in. In this one, I’m reminded that there are always multiple paths to choose. Robert Frost said, ” Two roads diverged in the wood and I – I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.” Much like he described, you can opt for the short cuts and speed through life, or you can choose to journey the distance and leave your fingerprints on the world in places still left untouched. Instead of seeing each obstacle you encounter as something negative, you can embrace the pain along the way, slow down a bit, and truly enjoy the beauty of life around you! If my husband had heard me, we could have been finished with our afternoon ride very quickly. Since he didn’t, I was able to enjoy more time with him! In the end, people won’t remember the things we bought them, but they will remember the times spent together. Life is fragile. Enjoy the company of those you love even if it means enduring a sore behind! 🙂