A Glimpse of a Younger Me

I was enjoying an after dinner bike ride one sunny evening last week.  I took Thelma as I needed room for my camera and it was my second ride of the day so speed was not on my mind.  I pedalled through the back roads of our small town trying to keep the bugs out of my teeth and the stench of freshly manured fields out of my nostrils.

I have a regular route I like to pedal as it's all quiet backroads with little traffic.  I rounded the corner heading towards the golf course as usual.  Up ahead of me was a father and his two young children.  He was moving slowly watching the two kids up ahead and just enjoying the views and an evening stroll.  I moved to the left side of the road to give them all some space and soon I passed the little boy as well.  As I moved closer to the older sister she cut in front of me, trying her best to run over the pine cones on the road.  We avoided a collision, both of us smiling at her determined attempts to hit the targets.  My kind of girl.  I pedalled by her and was surprised as I could hear her coming up behind me.

This section of road is not a long one and I was getting close to the right turn as she inched closer and closer.  I could see that the race was on.

Without saying a word, and with only a quick glance back, I knew I was in a race.  She bent over her handle bars and pumped her little legs faster and faster as she pulled up closer.  I smiled and pedalled a little quicker - as did she.  We were getting a ways ahead of her dad and brother so I slowed just enough to let her pull even.  She smiled at me, picked up speed and pulled ahead.  As soon as her back wheel passed my front end she pulled over to the side, waited for me to pass and turned her bike around heading back towards her dad and brother.  I gave her a wink and a nod as she rode away.  She looked at me with victory shining all over her face.

I don't even know this girl but I love her.  I love her competitive spirit.  I love that she needed to win. I love that I saw a glimpse of my younger self for just a moment on a back road in our wee town on a warm spring evening.