Walking

This morning started fantastic!  The rain is gone for today, which is a blessing because I have to get new tires for my softail.  The air is fresh and crisp and cool.  It's still a short sleeved ridin' day and will head to the 80s this afternoon.  Traffic is still light compared to the horrendous back ups that highway 27 normally is.

My local shop opens at 11:00 a.m. which is really worse than bankers hours, but I reckon it works for them.  Evil and Bart,  two of Sebring's finest mechanics.  Getting tires is kind of like pulling teeth.  It feels good after it is over, but during the process, it's torturous.  Since I'm on the bike, I must rely on a ride to go anywhere while my tires are being changed.  One of the nice ladies at Starbucks offered to pick me up, and ride me back to Starbucks to wait it out, which is very nice of her.  There's a local watering hole right next door which I normally wait at, but today I'm not doing it.  Nope. I'm staying straight, might want to go for a nice long ride afterwards.

I've been walking daily for lunch at work, usually around 1.9 miles in 30 minutes.  Sometimes when you are without a ride, like I will be as my bike is being worked on, you feel kind of stuck for transportation.  Sometimes we forget that as long as we have two working legs, we are never without transportation.  I measured out the distance from the bike shop to Starbucks, and it is around 2 miles, pretty close to what I do for lunch daily.  Have backpack, have MacBook Pro, can travel.  I'm actually looking forward to it.  There's an Olive Garden, a Ruby Tuesdays, and a host of other options to kill some time.  There's just no limit to my options!  The only down side to walking along the busy highway are the crazy drivers all in a big hurry to go nowhere.  There are no bike paths, no sidewalks really to speak of, you are pretty naked out there.  Most of the people in the hustle bustle race to get where they are going will think you are homeless.  Why else would you be walking?  Most normal people jump in their SUVs just to go across the street, right?

Well, I am doing my part to conserve and have fun at the same time.  Ride motorcycles, ride bicycles and walk.  That's right, walk.  It's good for you and you might even get a chance to see more of the world around you that you never noticed before.  After breaking my leg last year, walking is something many of us take for granted until we lose that ability.  Never forget those who sacrificed and will never walk again.  Many are in wheelchairs and have prothesis to help them.  Also remember that they are the lucky ones who made it home.   Walk in their honor.  As you walk down the road, give thanks for your freedoms and your health.  They can be taken away in an instant.  Life is precious.

Just as Nancy sings, "These boots are made for walkin'..."