When You Realize You Are That Person
Buds and I spent a fair amount of time in Europe talking about bicycles. There have always been lots of bikes, but this was the first time we saw vast numbers of bicycle delivery folks.
Thanks, covid.
Those parents in Vienna, Austria who toss the two kids on the back of the bike, ride to the store, load up the front basket with groceries, hand each toddler a baguette to carry, and bike off. That’s just how they live their lives. Bikes are how they roll.
In our continuing quest to Europeanize our life, today I was that Mom, except the kids had their own bikes.
The morning began with my biking to the allergist for my 8:50 a.m. appointment. I had to stop in the parking lot to have this exchange:
Someone who passed me on Monroe Avenue was headed to the same medical complex and got out of his van to holler to me.
“Is that bike electric?!”
“It is.”
“We passed you on the way here, and I thought it was electric but you were pedaling so it fooled me.”
I love how the bikes bring people together.
I was thrilled to see the bike rack at my doctor’s office complex. I feared I’d have to lash it to a post.
Next I biked to our co-op to get some necessaries.
Once back home, the girls jumped on their bikes so we could pedal to Aldi to stock up.
Not only did we replenish our stores, we also found the ideal porch swing hammock to use on the front porch.
but the girls convinced me.
Then I biked out again to bring home a wooden chair someone was discarding.
Finally, tonight, Buds and I purchased one more bike.
We’ve benefitted from folks pandemic purchasing e-bikes and then not using them. This one only has three miles on it.
This brings us up to four electric bikes and one regular bike, so we’re ready for any adventure.
We’ve truly become people who bike.
