A Starry Night, a Minor Confession, and Bicycle Therapy

The Starry Night by Vincent van Gough.

The past four days I've had off of work; today was my first day back. And being the holiday weekend I had family obligations and barely used my bike(s)...much to my chagrin I mostly drove these past four days. Come to think of it I was barely out in the open air in the past four days...and after a while this subconsciously starts to get to me. Mostly, the only time I was outside was to either walk from my truck to the house or vice-versa....I realize this is common to many but it's not a lifestyle I enjoy. I need to be outside...even though I live in the city being out of doors is really good for my psyche (I did use my bike some this past weekend, but not nearly as much as I'd like...and I did ride the short distance to-and-from work today). Anyhow, it's interesting how your actual mindset can change after using a car so frequently (it's a slippery slope); I had to move my vehicle from one side of the street to the other tonight because of alternate parking, and I thought about driving to the health club (about 1.25 miles away) simply because I was feeling lazy. But after thinking about it briefly I locked the truck and hopped on my bike...and was so glad I did.

It was not particularly cold out tonight (about 25F, which nothing compared to recent temps), nor was it particularly starry (as the blog heading suggests); it was rather overcast. But the fresh air and wind on my face felt invigorating...especially on the way home being fresh from the steam room. And as I pedaled and coasted (slowly) the old 70's song, Starry, Starry Night, by Don Mclean rang in my head. It was, without trying to sound too hokey, a therapeutic ride. Speaking solely for myself, being outside and getting physical exercise can really be mood altering. So the next time I'm feeling a bit sluggish, or have a bit of cabin fever, I think I'll take my own advice and go for a bike ride (or walk if the snow is too deep).