The Kindness of Strangers

Yesterday I decided to go for a 20 mile bike ride. I hydrated well and loaded up my iPod with a great playlist and then headed out in the hot sun with hopes to sweat off about 2000 calories. The temperature yesterday was in the mid 90’s and since I don’t want to have an uneven tan on my face I didn’t wear a headband or sunglasses. About 3 miles into the ride I was sweating like Saddam Hussein hiding in the desert. My eyes were drenched in salty sweat and fortunately I had enough sense to wear wrist bands so that I could wipe my face. The thing about wiping your face repeatedly with salty sweat is that after a while it start to burn. The salt dries on your face and pretty soon every time you wipe you have the sensation that you are getting a micro-dermabrasin facial.

Despite the discomfort I continue to ride. I wish that I had a place to ride where there aren’t any cars because I am constantly afraid that I am going to run into someone or someone is going to hit me as I ride through the suburbs of Plano. Yesterday I decided to ride so far that I would be away from the city and perhaps I would have the opportunity to ride without having to pause for so many cars. I succeeded. I rode out so far from my house that I was in between Allen and McKinney and their were more cows than there were houses. Finally I reach a dead end and I know I am about 10 miles from my house and so I turn around and head home. When I get about 9 miles from my house my chain does something funky and totally torques itself into oblivion. I pull over and investigate and at the exact time it breaks this dude rolls up and says, “Hey, is it broke?” I say, “yep”. He gets out of his truck and tries to help me fix it and then he offers to take me home. On the way to my house he tells me that he started riding because he had by-pass surgery 4 years ago and the riding helped him to stay in shape. He then went on to tell me that I needed to wear a helmet and that I needed to purchase some White Lightning lubricant for my bike chain once I got it repaired. He was extremely nice and I thanked God for sending him along. If he hadn’t stopped and helped I would have had to walk back 9 miles with my bike in tow and trust me – that is a long slow walk.

So a big thanks to Mr. Wilson for the ride home yesterday. I have become a bit jaded about helping people out and I am not sure I would have been so kind to someone in my situation, but now that I have been extended the hand of kindness, I won’t be so hesitant to do the same.

P.S. This site design was created as a tribute to our troops. This Memorial Day weekend be sure and thank God that we live in such a great country and thank our armed forces for doing what they do.