What a Six-Hour Bicycle Ride Taught Me
Written last January 2020
“You cannot stop now!”
That’s what they say
After all,
You still have to go
A long, long way
But here’s what they don’t tell
If you ride a bicycle
And compare it to life
You’re going to have to stop sooner than you know
Pedal hard for the mountain
It is hard, and it is steep
But if you do it fast enough
If you strive hard enough
You will be able to reach the top.
Slow down in the valleys
Lest you hurt yourself
Slow down in the darkness
Lest you tumble
If you go slow enough,
You might not get hurt,
But it will be a struggle to get up again
Its harder to go up than to roll down
Trust me, I know what I am saying
If the wind forces you to slow down,
Do not resist,
Just because you couldn’t see it
Doesn’t mean it’s not real.
And if you get tired,
You can rest
You can admire
You can enjoy the view
But do not stay long
Because if you do,
You might not see the ending.
And if the road becomes too hard to climb
Or maybe if the road becomes too steep to stop
Don’t be afraid to get down on your bike
Some paths are better meant for walking than cycling
Force yourself to ride
And you might end up tumbling
And maybe there will be times
When you want to stop
But, there is no go sign to pull the breaks
Honey, don’t stop
Don’t stay in the moment for too long
You have to keep going
Either way, life will force you to keep moving.
And if all else fails
Please remember
You can go back
There is no shame
For thinking you could do it
For trying to go far
For dreaming too big
You can always go back
Because I hope you realize
You still get to ride for one more day.
