tonight i participated in the ride of silence, a simple memorial ride held across the u.s. and in six other countries. the idea is simple: a bunch of cyclists gather and ride without creating any obvious disturbance, obeying all traffic laws and in silence as a visual reminder of those who have been injured or killed riding on the road. there were a few hundred people, and it was surprisingly moving.

i discussed the idea of the disciplines of silence and solitude with a few folks earlier in the week, and it has really been resonating with me that with busy-ness and bikey adventures over the past year i have really been leaving less and less simple space in my life.

in that same vein, i really enjoyed this past weekend, after a busy friday evening i scarcely left the house. sure some folks came over and there was much wine consumed and bbqing, but for the most part i was free to just busy my hands with building a wheel or playing video games. it was fantastic to not be feeling pressured to do anything in particular, just to be.

i am reminded of how jesus would always go off away from everyone to pray, and how i too used to feel able to just ride my bike away somewhere and hang out with god. it seems like anymore i’m too busy getting to some event or needing to meet some obligation, or just frankly trying to avoid thinking about anything, much less spending time praying or reflecting. how do i get that time back?

three truths:

1. bicycles are awesome.
2. port is delicious.
3. i am a chump.