Easy to be hard...

We've all heard, "It's like riding a bicycle."

I found, at least initially, that to be very tough. Much has to happen. First, you have to practice (and practice) with training wheels on.

Then, you'll need a mechanic (to take the training wheels off.) Like life, you'll find you'll always need a mechanic. Drains won't drain, dryers won't dry, AC's won't cool, furnaces won't heat, cars stop starting, enter checkenginelight here.

Thinking. Thinking can both the most wonderful thing, as well as being a bastard in and of itself. Thinking about no training wheels then leads to courage, or not. Some never try, some win triathlons.

Guidance. We'll need guidance to bike, as well as guidance to simply live. Guidance can and does help, BUT, once you're up on that banana seat all by yourself, be ready to buckle up buttercup because now it's all you.

If'n'when courage sneaks in, YOU'RE OFF! Oh baby oh baby oh baby.  Mom puts the first aid kit down long enough to use her new AT&T whatever they call that fancy phone/camera (for new AND existing customers) and you roll. Kinda.

The arms will shake spastically. Why this is, is unknown - but it will happen periodically in life... illness, loss of a loved one, and it even can in elation.

Balance. Again oh baby oh baby oh baby. Balance is critical in transitioning from 4 to 2 wheels, as well as virtually anything we do along life's path.

The gasps, the oohs and aahs come loudly from moms, dads, grannies, little brothers, all, who denote "By George I think he's got it."

Then, life is easy forever, ne'er a patch of gravel, a nail in the tire, inattentiveness, yada.

And if we're to belive that, then we might as well buy stock in Professor Higgins' forecast 'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.'

By George I think he's nuts.

Biking through life is perilous. It's easy to be hard.

I wish I had all knowing guidance for us all. It's often said "My favorite kind of beer is other people's." Like guidance in life, we fer sure learn from, lean on, others.

Practice. Mechanics. Thought. Guidance. Courage. Balance.

I emote, too easily. Sometimes I guess that's good, sometimes not. Sometimes it lends to "yes, life is easy to be hard...but it'll be OK.

The best guidance, the two most incredible conversations I've ever had in my life - came in hospice. One, my sister, and two, a gal I wish I woulda started chasing 45 years ago. Very basically, "everything will be ok."

Calm. Nice. Thought. Happy. Courage. Balance. Remarkably, focusing on the other guy, not one's own peril.

Last bike rides are no fun, but people are incredible.