Thoughts Before School Starts Again

I haven't been writing much, but have been reading. English teachers, even a part-time one like me, don't get much outside reading done during school because they are reading student essays. Breaks, vacations, intersessions are used for reading.

I came across these two blog posts and they both seem to hit on some points I've been pondering. The first is a theis that seems to sum up many reasons I ride a bike. This is Barb Chamberlain of Spokane, WA and presented at Ignite Spokane.



I get kidded and mocked by my family when I drive with them, sometimes even rightfully. Many of these comments are based on the habits I've formed by riding a bike and how a vehicle, no matter what kind, should travel down the road and interact with others. Riding a bike changes how you look at the world.

Patrice at Rural Revolution posted about simplicity and specifically Christian simplicity.

Some good thoughts, but one idea seemed to be running throughout the post--choice. We as humans have choices to make. I read that a teacher makes 2000-3000 choices a day in their classroom for example. But the choices mentioned here are about our personal decisions. The determinations we make that direct what we do and where we go. You know, how we live our life. Some points in the blog may seem a bit strong to some people, but think about how we look at the world. Isn't it because of choices we make and decisions others make for us? Our parents choosing the way they live, based upon many factors, are filtered and form how we live and think for years after we are out from under their roof. Patrice writes about more than just choices, but that thread runs throughout.

So regardless of how weird my family thinks I am, or how many smiles I get riding my bike in the rain with an umbrella, or how often my colleagues shake their heads; I'll still ride my bike. Because of choices I make for me and my family. As Frost said, "And that has made all the difference."