The human body is not designed to go faster than fifteen miles per hour. Our sight, our ability to interpret things, to process things is bicycling speed. Anything higher is against human evolution. And I'm convinced that as people end up spending more of their lives at a human speed, they're going to be happier.
--Dan Burden, early-'70s cycling advocate, as quoted in Jeff Mapes, Pedaling Revolution, p. 28
Cycling in Wichita is back, though not (yet) with a vengeance. Too much catching up to do with regard to this blog's subject. However, I hope to begin doing some of that catching up this morning and afternoon and have a couple of posts up today.
I received Pedaling Revolution from my in-laws as a Christmas present and have been reading it. Much of it is familiar, but not all, and seeing as its tone is that of the passionate advocate, it preaches pretty directly to this particular choir. But the quoted passage is here as an indirect explanation for why this blog has languished for so long: Due to circumstances beyond my control having to do with my wife's health, I'd not been able to live my life at human speed--some days, at any speed. Regular riding, and blogging about it, became lesser concerns.
It's hard to type when one's fingers are crossed, but I think I can say that things are now such that I can update here on a more or less regular basis. It's good to be back.
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3 comments:
John, I'm very happy to hear it--both that things are returning to more settled pace at home, and that you'll be updating this blog again. Hurrah!
Incidentally, you'll have to give us your full review of Mapes's Pedaling Revolution sometime. I read it while working on that chapter on bicycling and philosophy for the edited volume which you set me onto long ago; I ended up citing him a couple of times. (Did I send you that chapter when I finished it? If not, I should have.)
Good to have you back, John! Glad life has allowed you get back on your bike and write about it.
Thanks to both of you for the kind words. Russell, I do plan to post a review of it when I finish it. And no, you didn't send me the chapter; I'd really enjoy seeing it.
And thank you as well, Randy. I've been out and about on my bike yesterday and today and, weather permitting, tomorrow as well; I'll have a few things to say about those jaunts.
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