Little Woman

When I’m on my bike, it doesn’t take much to make me smile. Most of the time I’m so focused on what’s going on around me that I don’t have time. Because in order to survive on a road bike around town, you have expect people to do stupid things. And, believe me, they will.

Unfortunately, car vs. bike isn’t much of a competition and I am constantly surprised at the lengths people will go to let me know they HATE that I’m out there on THEIR road that THEY pay taxes on. I get cursed at, yelled at, honked at, run off the road, turned in front of, spat at…(sigh) and a host of other things daily. So when someone is nice to me out there, it has a very profound affect on me.

Today I was on my way to Copperhead Island just for the hell of it. I came across a little woman in a large brimmed hat who stopped in her tracks when she saw me coming up the road. She stood there and watched me pedal toward her. As I got closer she threw up her arms with her hands signing “O.K.” She yelled, “Good for you! Good for you! Good for you!” with a huge smile beneath her hat. I yelled back at her, “Thank you.” She continued to watch me until I crested the hill. I should have stopped and hugged her. She has no idea how her little cheer made my whole day.