eggs and time and a handful of rocks

two hours into my ride, i broke up over the crest of a hill and began my descent into a valley. as i gained momentum and felt the playful hands of the wind, a red miata with the top down came straight at me from the other direction. i had little time to think, but there was still enough distance for something other than pure instinct. instinct mixed with a nanosecond or two of thought. just as i was swerving off the road preparing myself mentally for the fall at 35 miles an hour, the car darted back into its lane, and the air was filled with eggs. somehow, i managed to duck just right, narrowly missing all of them. of course in my attempt to avoid a potential head-on collision that could perhaps have proven fatal, i had indeed left the pavement and flewn off into the brush, littered with broken wood and small rocks. thankfully, by the time i fell, i was able to slow the bike enough that i escaped any injury aside form a sore shoulder and thigh. i was met with a strange mix of exhuberance and anger. i immediatley picked up several rocks {approximately medium avocado sized} and ran back into the road. the car had stopped up the hill a ways, and they were laughing and flipping me off. this was not funny. thankfully, my animal instinct of rage left almost instantly, and i lay the rocks back upon the ground and returned to my bike shaking my head. i then had the thought that i should embody love and compassion in a situation like this, and asked myself what is it that would compel them to do such a thing? i contemplated attempting to approach them peacefully and introduce myself and be human together. implore them to stop before they permanently alter someone's life. they drove off, horn sounding through the vacant hills. my bike was okay, and i rode, thinking about how difficult it can be at times to love that which threatens us, that which we are afraid of. interestingly, i was mildly nervous before heading out on the bike this morning. hmmmmmm. this last week, i have been thinking much about the nature of time. though i have never really oscillated too greatly, i have at times questioned whether or not i feel it to be linear. the events of my life of late, have finalized any questioning. no. no no no no no. perhaps, if we could truly understand time on not only scientific, but also deeply spiritual levels, true empathy would be more easily attained. perhaps the world would shift as it so greatly needs to do. sigh. i am home now, and i am safe, and i am clean, and fed, and i will go buy a cup of tea and a book. my day will carry on, a mix of past and present and future. a delicate and beautiful mess of everything.

Posted by jeff at April 26, 2003 03:05 PM

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