Posted by I was cycling into work this morning – having set myself the rather ambitious goal of cycling 5000kms, or 100kms per week, this year – when I happened to glance up the hill towards the bridge and noticed a work-ute bristling with all sorts of safety gear parked over the bike path entrance to the bridge.
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| Yep – putting it out there. Going for 5000kms this year Which would be double what I rode in 2015. I will accept 250 hours of riding instead of 5000kms to allow for the fact I spend a lot of time going nowhere fast (250 hours = 5000kms at 20km/hr) |
Then I noticed a work-man beside the vehicle with a “Footpath Closed” sign in his hand and I immediately had one of those “Oh, frick, feck, bugger” moments as I realised they’d closed the cycling lane again (it was closed on Tuesday) and I’d have to detour off under the bridge and ride up the other side (which would cause me a whole two minutes delay!).
But then something wonderful happened – the guy saw me (still a couple of hundred metres away) and he waved me towards him and then onto the bridge … before putting the sign up behind me.
That man made my day, my week and my year from his small act of kindness.
It was as I was reflecting on this small, but wonderful, act that I recalled what a wonderful day I’d had on the bike without even realising it.
I recalled the car that had come up behind me on Clarence Street earlier on and then just slowed down to let me move out and around a parked car, before politely passing me as I pulled back out of his or her way.
I recalled a lady walking on the Clarence Foreshore Trail that must have heard me coming up behind her on the dodgy section of track running through the yacht club gravel car park and whom, without me even asking, stepped off the track for a few moments to let me slip past.
I remembered another lady out walking her dog a bit further along the track, and how this time I was the one able to slow down and show thoughtfulness as her dog unexpectedly ran across the path in front of me, pulling its extend-a-leash in front of me like a tightrope ready to hurl me off my bike, and how instead of hurling abuse, I’d chosen to smile at the lady, say hi to the dog, tell them it wasn’t a problem and that these things happen … and then we both went on our individual ways.
In this world where we so often focus on the negatives and whatever unsubstantiated, ill-reported sensational tit-bit that is tweeted or facebooked, I want to thank that man on the bridge who opened my eyes this morning to all the wonderful people that surround us that we just so often don’t see.
Thank you.