Back pain led me to sell my beloved surf kayak that first summer of COVID. Ever since, I've been riding a bicycle nearly every day I'm not working.
It was hard to give up the kayak. It led me to accept that my body will have different activities it can tolerate at different stages. Understanding that everything is by its nature a limited time offer has made me more appreciative of the activities I enjoy in the moments when I indulge them.
Yesterday I took my morning bike ride, followed by a local hike with my son where we pushed ourselves to complete it within a certain timeframe. It was exhausting and wonderful. He's at the age where turning an activity into a timed competition has great cachet, so he loved the sense of accomplishment when we finished in less than the estimated time limit. I'm hoping we can make this a regular weekend event.
This morning, I was on my bike ascending a well-known hill overlooking the Pacific, feeling good at my exertions over the past couple of days, when I passed someone on a unicycle.
This brought two separate thoughts to mind.
First, wealthy people pursue unusual passions.
Second, for all the pride I was feeling in the last couple of days' physical accomplishments, it gave me perspective to realize that some folks are riding up the same hill I am but with only one wheel.