To say I've been humbled a few times in this life is like saying 'Yeah, Jimi Hendrix could play guitar'. It's often had to strike me hard over the head. It turns out, most of my life I've either been oblivious, indifferent, or just a block head.
Granted, I look way down my nose at bikes I deem as sub-standard.
Example: A girl in our office was so proud of the Christmas bike she and her husband had bought their son. 'A really nice Mongoose' she told me. But I'm thinking 'Wait a second, there is no such thing as a really nice Mongoose!' There may very well be such a thing but only if you're a snake and said Mongoose slinks past you offering a pleasant 'How-ja-do'.
See I ride a nice bike. So what if it cost north of 5 grand. So what if it's worth more than my car. I ride it. It's not a trailer queen that I show up on at group rides or metric centuries on only to disappear early in the ride. No sir, I ride it and in the long run, I'll get my monies worth out of.
So you bought him a Mongoose ... OK. It's never going to be a 'really nice Mongoose'. That simply doesn't exist. Buying a kid a Mongoose is a wise investment. He'll ride the wheels off of it and it'll end up in the trash in two years.
So on to the humility portion of today's rant.
A couple weeks ago while attending our local Bike Club's annual maintenance clinic, I was ask to participate in the Tour De Cure by a really cute girl. I though 'Neat, something with 'Tour De' in the name and I can ride in it? ... I'm in'. A moment of weakness for sure.
Then it dawned on me that I would actually have to do something other than just ride. I would have to raise money in order to participate. Oh great!. I'm now one of 'THEM'. You know the ones ... the ones who beg for funding on the various forms on NPR. You know them. With the guilt trip ... yeah .. THEM. Or the fellow office worker who comes around with a sheet 'Will you sponsor me?' To which (more than once ) I've said I'll give you $5 to go jump off the roof''.
So here I am ... I'm the one having to 'Tin Cup' OH GREAT. So I sent out emails and posted on Facebook asking for help. I committed to the ride (the easy part) ... now I have to fund raise. UGH!
Much to my surprise, a day after I started, I'm half way to my goal. I swear, I'll never run and hide when a co-worker comes near me with the dreaded pledge form ever again. I know what they're going through.
I'll never again judge a friends choice of words when describing a Christmas bike. Hey to that kid It's more than just a Mongoose. It's his rig! He'll get Mom's monies worth out of it. At least he's not glued to a Play Station while eating Ding-Dongs! Best yet, He'll remember that bike the rest of his life as 'The really nice Mongoose.
So there it is. Mother Karma warning me yet again to be kinder and gentler guy.
Lesson learned Mom!
Peace out!
el Shiv
P.S. Here is the link to my donation page ... think about it.
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