Perspective is Everything

One never knows of the joys one will find while perched upon the top of a bicycle saddle.

With seemingly undecided spring temperatures, it has been a challenge to make sure to carry enough clothing options to stay warm enough in the morning, and have an option to be comfortable in the higher afternoon temperatures. On Tuesday afternoon, I was on my way home. I had failed to pack a pair of knee-warmers, so I was over-dressed in a pair of heavy tights. I was riding slowly to keep from getting hot climbing a slight hill when I made eye contact with a young boy (maybe 8 or 10) on the sidewalk. I smiled and said hello as I approached. He smiled in return and simply said gleefully: “I peed my pants”

Yup, he had.

I found myself laughing about that the rest of my way home. It had reminded me of a situation I encountered the week earlier when we went out to dinner as a family. I stepped into the men’s room. As I opened the door, there was a young boy playing in the water of the urinal. He looked startled that I had entered the room, sheepishly smiled and walked out of the restroom (evidently back to dinner?) I laughed as I thought to myself about how the conversation at the table when he got back might go: “Little Johnny, can you hand your mom a slice of fresh bread?”

After posting yesterday about cyclists violating traffic laws, I have been overly aware of my own actions. Interestingly, on my way, I witnessed traffic enforcement in Minneapolis. In the almost 11 years I have been riding to/from work in my neck of the woods, I have never seen a car pulled over. Yesterday, I witnessed 3. An officer was standing along Plymouth Avenue with a radar gun that happened to flag down the car behind me, evidently for speeding.
I actually really appreciate the increased traffic enforcement, particularly along my primary cross-town connection. The speed limit is 30, but few cars adhere to that limit.