It's not just the physical benefits, though that has certainly helped. Nor is it the mental benefits, though that, too, has been a boon not to be ignored.
The thing that has been key to my survival is the way bicycling has kept me connected, the way it has provided a grounding that is otherwise missing in my life.
Baton Rouge bike people, October 2011
I've been on my own, more or less, since I was 13. That has had its ups and downs as you can probably imagine. Between then and now I've had a variety of relationships with a varying number of people. Some of those relationships still live, most do not. This past 16 years I've been living by myself but I haven't been alone.
It's bicycles and the people who ride them who have been my companions.
There are lots of hospitality exchange (HOSPEX) websites, the most famous of which is probably Couchsurfing. I learned about a community of people who tour on bicycles and people who host them. The organization is Warmshowers (it's not what it sounds like but I understand why you might think it's something else), a mutual hospitality exchange thing that is limited to bicycle tourists.
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| Kevan and I, October 2011 |
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| Alex, Bria, and Ben, December 2011 |
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| Ross, January 2012 |
Being around younger people helps keep me open, flexible, learning. My worldview can be challenged and, on occasion, I manage to get through my own limitations to see what the view on offer may be.
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| Valeska, Phillip, and the Pancakes |
The best part may well be being around energetic people who take risks and reap great rewards thereby. It encourages me to be more like them and to remain aware of my inertia. Better to move forward than fall back.
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| Another inspiration. |
