“Go find your high. I already found mine.”
Imade Omo
I’ve never been the type to take risks. I’ve always played it safe.
As a matter of fact, I never engaged in adventurous games as a child. I enjoyed board games and skipping—not cycling, and not riding. In short, I became very good at the game called “safe playing.” But somehow, I don’t know why, life managed to throw me out on the rocky side.
Others were always like, “Hey, sissy! Be a man!” Actually, I am a ‘sissy,’ not just figuratively. How can I be a man, if I’m a woman? I’ll leave that for another discussion.
One day, I decided to grab the bull by its horn. Or, I grabbed the bike by its bars, as the case may have been.
I quickly learned that cycling gives me a different feeling. I’m disconnected, but still conscious about everything going on around me. It’s the adrenaline pump after a vigorous ride, the breeze hitting my skin in the evening ride, the sweat running down my cheeks while pedaling, and oh, the fulfillment of finishing an adventurous ride! It just keeps me in the present, moment after moment.
The connection I have with my bike is crazy. It’s on a deeper level—like the connection you have with a dog. My bike is man’s best friend; it’s just not a living thing. Trust me when I tell you that as soon as you start moving, you breathe life into it. That’s why I say to others, “if you hit my bike, I will kill you!” I don’t mean it, really, but I definitely think it in my mind.
Different parts of my bike have taught me various life lessons:
- Brakes: In life, you have to take a break when you notice you’re going too fast.
- Chain: It will sometimes tangle because life isn’t all rosy. Remain calm, put it back into the right position, and keep moving.
- Handlebars: Remember what I said about taking the bull by its horns? You have to make the first move.
- Pedals: After taking the handlebars to steer, you have to keep pedaling to advance forward. It’s the same with life—it’s not just about starting; it’s also about consistency.
Here are some other ways cycling helps me relate with life:
- Cycling helps me zone out, which I like to do once in a while, anyway.
- Cycling allows me to see my environment from different perspectives. During my early morning rush hour ride, I see the baker in his shop spinning up some dough, the accountant in his suit, driving to work; the dog walker, taking his furry friends on an early morning outing.
It’s like being gifted a glance into different peoples’ lives, all at once.
I could go on, but I need to go take a buzz of a ride.