When I selected a place to live, I chose a location that was bicycle friendly. Key West is known for cycling and St. Michaels has a nature trail and back roads to cycle on. Both offer a flat terrain. Key West has bike lanes and the strength of numbers as many people ride bicycles. I rarely use a car in Key West. I get around town and run my errands riding my bicycle.
I like cycling because it gives me time to think. The breezes flow through my hair and I feel an intimate connection with the environment.
When the wind is at my back, it feels like I am bicycling well and fast. It is only when I face the wind that cycling becomes a burden.
This seems to be a metaphor for life, when the wind was at my back, I didn’t notice it, I thought that I was doing great. In fact, the wind at my back represented all of the luck and support that was behind me, my friends, my relatives, my husband, people who helped me in my career. Sure, I pedaled hard, but I was aided by all of these invisible forces. And when the wind turned and was blowing against me, that is when I realized how strong the winds had been at my back. I don’t always notice how strong they were until I lost them and faced a strong wind.
When the wind is facing me, that is when life gets tough. When my career hit a crossroad, when circumstances did not favor me, when I lost my husband and other important support systems, the wind shifted. I had to pedal hard, and I only crept forward.
In hindsight, I now realize that I knew the wind was behind me, I just thought that I was doing the most of the pedaling.
The Irish blessing says it all:
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm
And the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.
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