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October 23, 2005
Two days of downtime
I didn't show up at the bike shop on Saturday but instead took care of work at home. Dave called me tonight to make sure I was ok. Haha. I think he was worried about me after Friday night going to the movie. I usually show up on Saturdays but he didn't see me or Tom, who went with me to the movie, and thought that something might have happened. What really happened was that Tom and I rode our bikes back from Minneapolis to St. Paul, then went to Villa Roma's Italian Restuarant for a late all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner. By the time we finished gorging ourselves it was really late. I got home after 1am and then was up another couple of hours chatting with friends online. 3am rolled around and I crashed hard. It's tough to get up in the morning. Then Saturday I just relaxed, refreshed my memory on how to make Turkish Coffee on the stove, read a little, replied to some emails and then mowed the lawn and raked up some leaves. After spending four days at the bike shop, I needed some time for myself and for my home. So Yesterday and today I did just that. Down time. Down time is really up time. Yes there were times this weekend where I felt like I should be doing something else. But I didn't. I was going to do a bike race today also. But I didn't. Instead I went to the coffee shop, hung out, read the paper, came home, cleaned, worked on organizing my library and putting more books on the shelves and making more Turkish coffee on the stove. I still don't have the technique right. But I'm getting closer. I had some good family time this weekend and time to chat with old and dear friends from around the world online. It fealt really good.
Tonight talking to Dave tonight I felt really good about this upcoming year at the bike shop. I think there is so much potential for what we are doing. We are working with societies most fragile citizens and encouraging and enabling year-round bicycle commuting. We are cleaning up the environment, providing transportation alternatives, offering services that no-one else is willing to handle and donating a lot of bikes out after fixing them! It's a good thing. I know in my heart this is the right thing for me to be doing at this time. So, I do it. And it's good.
But this weekend I took some time off and shut it off. I did ride my bike to the store for bread and milk today, and to the Chinese restuarant for dinner tonight, but that is as close to bikes as I got. I've been having fun cleaning and organizing my own mess in my library and helping my wife and daughter. There is a time and a place for everything. And I know the time and place for the bike shop is going to be four out of five evenings this week. Next year it may be different, but right now it's necessary. There is a season, turn, turn, turn...
I have thoroughly enjoyed this time off. If I did not do it, I would not have had the chance to talk to my good friend Cecilia from Argentina and get the words of wisdom or encouragement to move forward with energy and focus. There is a certain magnifying energy passed between people. Do you know this energy? It's called inspiration. It's a trigger that releases the best in someone else. God's energy. God's love. During downtime we are able to hear, see and feel it and are revitalized. Tomorrow night I will get all of the tires put away in the shop! That will clear significant floor space. Tuesday night I will be teaching and helping a group of students with their bikes. Wednesday night I'll be directing and working with volunteers to finish up some old projects and Thursday night is a basic bicycle maintenance class and Friday night I want to try the Minneapolis Critical Mass ride, then Saturday my Bikes as a Second Language (BSL) class. I can imagine I'll be taking some down time on Sunday. Wow, a busy week for being a slow season for bikes! Can you imagine? But I know it will also be a beautiful week with a lot of good things happening and I'm ready for them. Mainly because I'm well rested and have had time for myself. now let's roll on...
Posted by carl1236 at October 23, 2005 10:46 PM | Attitude