What makes us tick.

Why are we like we are? Why do we like what we like, and dislike other things. I got a call from my friend D. the other day. He was having a problem with his pool and had a couple of questions. During our conversation he had to tell me that he rode his bike that morning for the first time in forever. This was pretty big news, considering that he had not been riding for quite some time, and instead had taken up playing tennis. This was funny to me in a way, because I was the one who initially got him into riding. I just showed up at his house one morning with a spare bike and told him I would pick him up at 5:00 a.m. to go for a ride. Our first morning ride was less than successful, he was petrified of clipping into his cleats, and would unlock way before we would come to a stop, and sometimes not even lock in at all. Our first ride ended about half way to the visitor turnoff in the dark with D standing off to the side of the road wondering what the heck he was doing this for. As with many things that we find completely stupid, painful, and unfulfilling, he ended up calling me to see if we could go again. When he turned 40 he had a goal to ride 40 miles on his 40th birthday. Soon I was dragging behind him when we would go for rides and when he would go on family vacations he would take the bike along and call me to tell me how far and fulfilling his rides were.



During our conversation on the phone D told me that during one of his rides about 6 months ago he was riding back down hill about 40 miles per hour on his bike with the thin tires. Cars were zooming by him and it hit him how dangerous he realized this activity can be in Las Vegas. "Heck, the worst that can happen in tennis, is you might twist something, it just seems a lot safer." When D first called I was close enough to his house that by the time we were half way through the conversation I was already standing in his back yard. His wife K came out into the back yard and said Hi. I had not told him how close I was to the house and he didn't know I was back there, I handed the phone to his wife and told him to say hi. Without either one of them knowing who they were talking to it was funny to hear Ds confusion at the familiar voice. He knew that the voice sounded like his wives, but thought it was Kathy. I had a good laugh when they finally figured it out and soon he hung up. I walked through some things on the pool with his wife, and we talked for a little while. She told me "D went for a bike ride this morning". She said "I don't get it, he goes out and buys this new, expensive bike, and then out of the blue, stops riding it six months ago, it seems like such a waste of money." (I have to make note that K is a very supportive wife, and a huge sweetheart and I don't want to portray her any differently.)

I kind of laughed, because I know Kathy has thought the same thing over my off and on again relationship with my bikes. As I was leaving, I almost forgot to ask "How old is the baby now?"

"He will be six months in a week". As I walked away, I smiled as It all came together as to the mysterious lack of interest in riding for a much safer, although more boring pursuit. I don't know if K has ever figured it out, but when he finally realized that he was going to have a son to raise, he made a decision that Tennis might be a much safer choice to ensure that he would be around to show him some of the other fun things that he likes to do.