Freedom

byleaningwest

529 followers

Updated 10 years ago

Remember getting your first bike and that complete feeling of freedom? Riding on your own, making your own decisions, turn left, turn right, and letting your thoughts come and go at random.

Ever ridden a bike where the gear-shifters were on the frame? I had a red 10-speed Schwinn like the one above. I would jump on and ride everywhere in my hometown of El Centro. It’s a small town in the desert of Southern California where you could ride end-to-end in just a few miles. It seemed like all sights and sounds would vanish while I was riding, except for those that I chose to see and hear. Freedom.

Well, freedom of choice except for the time I wasn’t paying attention and I hit a parked car on my way to school. I guess I was watching my tire spin and bammm, hit the bumper of the car and I landed with my crotch on the bike’s cross bar. Shoulda bought a girl's bike! It’s one of those lessons you need to experience and not be warned by our parents. I mean really, how silly to warn our kids to avoid hitting parked cars.

The simple freedom to explore outside my neighborhood. I used to ride my bike and memorize the streets in order, let's see.... Broadway, Main, State, Olive, Brighton, Orange, Holt, Heil, Hamilton, Wensley and home to Lenrey. I would ride to my best buddy’s house, She had 2 older brothers... hot older brothers. I wonder how many of us had best friends with hot older brothers/sisters when all we could do was fantasize and too young to understand what the fantasy was all about. Freedom to ride anywhere and think about anything.

I remember my first car. It was a 1968 Volvo. I loved that car! Dad made sure we all learned to drive a stick first and I loved racing around town, speed shifting... I could even shift her without using the clutch. The speedometer presented as a red line. Appropriate! I remember a cop pulling up behind me when I got home one day. He had been chasing me for blocks. The radio blaring... I had no idea. I got quite the scolding and he asked me what the hell I thought I was doing, driving at high speed through the neighborhoods. "I was told it was a good way to clear the carbon off the sparkplugs". He just threw up his hands and left. Lucky to have freedom after that one, I guess! Ha ha! Lessons learned... at least I was wary of and avoided hitting any parked cars.

I love those moments where I’m doing something that completely replaces sights and sounds. I’m not a psychologist, but I have to believe those moments of freedom are healthy. Where sound fades and disappears and you are lost in just your own thoughts or activity. Moments of intimacy are like that for me or when I’m swimming in open waters, or on my long, 5-15 mile walks or even working on this WA business. Not that those activities are related, but there is a common endorphin kick. The best part is that I don’t even realize the sights and sounds have disappeared until they start coming back a little at a time.

Speaking of which….I’ve had music on while writing this blog, and the sounds are just starting to come back to me. How fun, the freedom to write anything, anywhere, anytime.