I was biking on the rail trail this morning when my front tire hit a crack in the pavement and I nearly lost my balance. I hit another, and another, and by the time I’d gotten the hang of running over the cracks, I’d passed them. I pedaled onward.
The cracks changed my behavior. My heart rate rose. I scanned the road more carefully and felt more physically connected to my bike. I steeled myself for another series of cracks, but when they didn’t come, I relaxed into my usual habits and enjoyed the rest of my ride.
Once I was back in my normal rhythm, I realized that my reaction to the cracks was a metaphor for a life lesson I’ve had to learn repeatedly. I’ve always been able to handle a challenge or a crisis as it’s happening. The hard part comes after, when I have to process my reaction and figure out how to move forward again. It always takes longer than I’d like to settle back into cruise mode, but it feels good when I get there.
The crack itself isn’t the problem. It’s adjusting to life after the crack.
I love it! Let’s do a ride together later in the summer.
I’d really like that, Lynn!
Interesting! I hadn’t thought about it that way before, but this reminds me of what happens when I take a fall off my horse (which, thankfully, happens rarely). It always takes me a while to work my way back to feeling comfortable in the saddle and doing the same level of riding I did before the fall. And after Hurricane Irma, I was hyper alert to any storm activity and my stress levels were much higher during that situation than they had been before.
It’s a good reminder that we sometimes need a jolt to get out of our own heads– at least, I do!