A Brief Aside

George Washington's River Farm in Alexandria, VA, a place I visited for a wedding 2 months ago

"Every front has a back."

This is one of the seven laws of the infinite universe as outlined by George Ohsawa, the founder of modern-day macrobiotics. You might ask, "Steve, why the hell are you quoting macrobiotic philosophy on your bicycling blog?" Glad you asked. It's been proving very true in my recent interactions, two in particular.

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The other night, I was at the bar with my roommate, sitting outside and enjoying some beers on an absolutely beautiful Summer night. I wrote a while back that sometimes I still enjoy a smoke every now and then, and for some reason, I felt like having one that night. I asked a guy on the corner who was smoking if I could bum one. He said sure, but he would have to go inside to get his pack.

On his way out, he stopped at the door as one of the servers asked him "Are you talking to those rich people who always ask if the fish is wild caught?" He said "I guess." The server couldn't see me, but I could hear her, and I knew her voice. I know she was trying to insult me, but I couldn't help but be a little flattered. Me? Rich? If you only knew...I guess I do put on a good front. :)

* * * *

On Friday, I returned to TV-13 for the first time since last October. I saw some of the guys I worked with last year, again for the first time since then. One of them remarked, "So, I see you've been keeping up with your traveling these days." I was a little confused. Other than Canada, I haven't left Philadelphia for more than a day or two at a time.

Then I figured it out. I post all of these pictures and blog posts all the time, most of which occur while cycling around the city, whether people realize it or not. Most of my other adventures are day trips to places that are not very far away. However, the city is many worlds among itself, and leaving the city is a whole different world. The picture above was from a friend's wedding in July, no more than a 3 hour drive from Philly. I could have driven back the same day. To the untrained eye, it probably seems like I travel an awful lot, but in real life, I stay pretty close to home.

* * * *

A long time ago, my "uncle" Bill (he was a close friend of the family, but we loved him like an uncle) told me that if I wanted to live large, I should just go ahead and do it, regardless of whether or not I thought I could afford it. I'd say I'm doing a decent job, or at least all outward appearances would indicate so. The man certainly lived large himself, and had a zest for life that even I can't come close to matching, but what he said carries tremendous weight in my day-to-day outlook on life.

The point of these stories is to illustrate that there is always another side to what you see. I work several jobs and live paycheck to paycheck, sometimes just barely making ends meet. Because of this, I don't go on nearly as many adventures as I'd like to. I don't have as much as people think or do as much as some think I do, and you probably didn't know that. I mean, how would you unless I told you?

When I sit back and take a deep breath, I know that I do have enough, and I do do quite a lot. I said doo doo. Haha. Anyway, everyone loves to have that "pat yourself on the back" feeling every once in a while, and this past week I experienced it twice. That's not why I do what I do, but it's a nice side effect. Most importantly, I have a good time doing it.

So, whatever you're doing, as long as you're enjoying yourself, that's really all that matters. If you truly want to live the life you want to live, you will. Or, as Andrew W.K. put it, "We do what we like, and we like what we do."

Me? I'm about to ride my bike to a New Belgium beer tasting, which is just fantastic, because I've wanted them to come to PA for about 5 years. I like all of that. All I have left to say is, thank you to everyone who is part of this fantastic human experience, big or small, and I hope you'll do something you enjoy today.