Candle in the Wind

Today was a riding day. We rode to Jim Thorpe. It's a beautiful mountain town full of history. It's surrounded by rolling mountains referred to "America's Swiss Alps". It has lots of cute shops to browse. This time of year toursit come out of the woods for a fall festival. At 9:00am I met up with a group of riders. I was interviewed by a local AOL reporter who wanted my comments for her article on our riding group. A rather cool opportunity. In fact, the whole day was rather cool.....meaning very freakin cold! The weather woman promised some sun today, but it was a completely unsunny day. Never needed sunglasses, just my clear goggles.
The ride to Jim Thorpe was cold race around curvy roads lined with a rainbow of autumn-colored trees. We zig-zagged on all kinds of beautiful roads. After all, riding is about the ride. Not about being in a hurry to get to a destination. However, today, I just wanted to get to the destination. The cold wind was making my finger tips freeze and go numb. I felt like I have been building a snowman without gloves. I remembered how I use to put you kid's freezing hands under my armpits to warm them up. I just want to stop and shove my digits under my pits. Riding when I am freezing is not safe. I'm not as agile for handling the bike. After so many miles of curves and long past the time I first felt the urge to pee... the zen of motorcycle riding was froze out. I was actually getting 'pissed' off, because the leader was not making a stop and we had been going far too long without a pee and warm-up break. I was no longer enjoying the ride and contemplating breaking off from the group. But,I didn't want to be the wussie woman on the manly-man road trip complaining. So instead, I decided to focus on what I could enjoy about the moment...though my fingertips were numb, I could still wiggle my toes. I wanted to be mindful to enjoy the experience. I wanted to stay light-hearted. So I thought of light. A candle came to mind. I decided to be a candle. The candle was warming me. I recalled once when Joelle was my passenger and I was riding scared in the rain, she told me to visualize purple because it is stress-reliever. So I thought of myself as a purple candle. Lavander is a calming, soothing scent. I am a purple, lavendar scented candle being warmed by my own fire right now and giving off a lovely fragent aroma. It got me through til we got to a pit stop. So I could warm my hands under my pits.
When we arrived in Jim Thorpe, the traffic was overwhelming...no places to park. However, we were blessed we a guy leading up who knew how to get around the area. We had to park way up on the mountain, but nonetheless, we got a place to park and free to boot.
As we started our decent by foot down into the village, I realized that I had my workout before me. So I said what I often say when I start my dedicated workout, "This ones for the girls!". I walked from noon to 5 pm. And though it was stopping to shop and browse, believe me I got a workout out in for us. David said it was worth two days worth of workout. David had the instinct to lead us back up the mountain to our bikes via a new uncharted route. He was sure that it was going to save us steps. Well, it became a walk-a-thon.... I mean a real Walk Fest! I had to stop a couple of times to let my heart rate and breathing get back into a manageable pace. I was greatful that we had broke off from the other riders a few hours early, as I would have been embarassed being the one who had to stop and try to suck air out of a new blow-hole in the top of my head. Again, climbing that mountain I had to think about how I am a candle today. Because I really wanted to nag David's ass for making me haul my ass up the long way up a mountain to our bikes. Yet, I reminded myself that I would rather be in love, then be right.
Then, I had a flashback to a time I was so wrong and paid the physical price of pain that I had induced on Shanna. My mind went back to the Sleepy Bear Sand Dunes of Michigan. Shanna and I had to have Frank boost our butts back to the car while Joelle ran back and forth in the sand like it was track and field. It was one of the most miserable days of my life. A family vacation the was pushed way beyond my limits. Though, it was my idea to do the journey. Shanna tried to cry her way out of it, but I just wanted her to suck it up and walk. Turns out, I couldn't suck it up.
So I tried to suck it up today, and I thought of Joelle and Shanna giving my butt boosts so I could make it to my bike.
Admittedly, it was a scenic walk. But in heavy biker boots and carrying my heavy leather jacket, the walk was burdensome. We had walked all day in the cold and I stayed well zipped up, but the mountain ascent had me stripping clothes and carrying them. The bike was such a sight for sore legs. I had to do some stretching before I got on the bike because my legs were already trying to charlie-horse and shin splint.
We had a nice ride back home. I reminded myself that I was a candle in the wind to warm and comfort me. We made a stop at a gas station for hot tea. One lady walked passed us and got a chill. She said, "I can feel the cold coming off you guys." We had gotten a few comments about "It's a cold day for riding." Yep, it was an unsunny day, yet I kept my candle burning.