My Bike and I

I just sold my old bike, a woman’s bike, to a man who said it would work just fine for him. Hey, I didn’t argue. Parting with it brought back memories from college, where I used to commute to school.

The setting was Portland, Oregon, and I was going back to school to get my master’s degree to become a teacher. I lived in Southeast, and I would ride my bike down to the waterfront, across the Hawthorne Bridge, and up the other side to Portland State University. I rode rain or shine. Believe me, it rained more than it shined.

The ride home was always the most difficult. There were steep hills coming up from the river and past the Ladds. These hills often required that I get off my bike and walk, especially at the end of a long day at school. I wasn’t in the greatest shape back then. One day in particular I remember it was raining hard, it was cold, and I was walking my bike, drenched. That bike and I have quite a history.

I wonder what my new bike has in store for me. I am creating a history every time I strap my kids into their trailer and tote them around. My old bike helped me to get healthy and fit. Perhaps my new one will too.