Feeding on Thought

I’ve been reflecting a lot recently on the diversity of life’s experiences. Not on a grand societal scale (that’s a post for another time, another blog altogether...), but on a local, personal level. I’ve often referred to the importance of “Balance” in one’s life. I use the analogy, “If you only ever steer your bike in one direction, all you’ll ever do is ride in a circle”. In other words, you’ll keep seeing the same things, experience the same things, riding the same things. Doesn’t sound like much fun to me. But I witness this phenomenon in too many people’s lives. They keep doing the same things, steering their lives in the same “circle”. Day in and day out. Week in and week out. (I won’t provide examples. You know to what I am referring.)

I’ve been complaining a bit of late, about bartending and how my Friday’s end up being 24 hour marathons. But maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. Last night (this morning?), I found myself posting a PORC forum response at 5 in the morning, just before going to bed. This morning, I find myself writing a “cooler buddy” blog entry at 5 in the morning, just after getting up from bed. Perhaps this isn’t such a bad thing after all. This balance of experience provides perspective. It led me to this posting. Took my thoughts further than they’d been before on this topic... to wit:
Without diversity, we lose all meaning of... well, everything. Without something being hot, we’d have no point of reference to what is cold. In fact, it’s impossible to have cold without hot. Same goes with light and dark, pleasure and pain, happy and sad, strength and weakness, good and bad, tired and rested. It goes on and on. Diversity of life = Meaning of life

We ride in the woods a lot. Block out some time next week to ride the alleycat on Saturday in the city. Don’t wait to have the right bike, the right weather, the right physical shape or appearance. Just bring whatever bike you have, whatever clothes you have, and ride. It’ll make for a more diverse crowd. It’ll add texture to the day. The BABES will provide balance and diversity; and we all know what that means.