Two things that I think I'd like to write about today. Normally I try to pick just one, but this is my blog, my rules, so...tough! Today, in terms of riding, we took a bit of a shortcut. We cheated. I got talked into it by a couple of the other riders. It wasn't a big cheat. We were supposed to do about 45 with some hills but ended up taking a bigger highway that went straight to our destination and we cut out some of the hills (but had more traffic, which is probably why the official maps don't go that way). This minor cheat, though, really sparked a discussion in my own mind about why it is that I'm on this ride. What is my goal? What is important to me about the ride? Am I doing this because I'm a completionist? Am I doing it for charity? Am I doing it to get in better shape? Certainily the athletic aspect is a strong part of it for me. By that criterion, taking a shortcut felt like it was only cheating myself. Anyway. I have no answers for you. But the questions are intersting, as long as you don't take them too seriously.
The second thing is, I'm writing this from the spare bedroom of one of my best college friends ever, Jenn Stine (now Elam) and her husband Sean, both of whom were good friends at Rice. They have two wonderful kids. It's fun - if a bit odd - to be in such a normal human suburban context. It's also a really interesting way to visualize what my life could be like with two kids. But mostly it's just really good to see Jenn, who's one of the most openhearted and best people I know, and take a hot shower.
OK - three things. We also caught a glimpse of the Mississippi on the way in. It reminded me of the story about the four men and the elephant. From a bike, it just looks like a big river. Large and imposing, yes, but to know the real scale of its impact on human endeavour you have to look deeper, which we didn't get a chance to do. Perhaps tomorrow, when we cross it.
