Wednesday, June 09, 2004

Why I Love Fremont

So I'm riding my bike home from work tonight and I stop at the "mid-point" light on the hill (39th & Fremont). A pedestrian standing next to me is wearing head phones, looking at note cards, and muttering to himself in German. "Right on," I think, this guy is learning a new language in anticipation of some travel. Or maybe he's just at little different, but either way I don't really care because it was kind of neat to hear.

A few seconds later I'm pedaling against gravity once again and passing B.F. Day School. I hear bagpipes, bongo drums, and what sound like cymbals. My curiosity is definitely piqued at this point, so I stop and walk up the steps to the basketball court and see (surprise) a guy playing bagpipes, some other guys playing bongo drums, and a bunch of women belly dancing.

On Wednesday. At 7:23 pm.

Fremont rocks.

1 comment:

Iszi said...

Ah, the joys of having a bicycle as your primary form of transportation. Yes, having a car has saved time in my schedule, and energy in my legs. But, I do miss the days when I would be on my bike on the way home and notice something that most people in their cars (closed off from the rest of the world, whizzing by too fast to be able to worry about seeing anything more than the road in front of them) wouldn't notice. Such as a band playing nearby in a plaza, or someone on the sidewalk doing something that may be of unique interest, like your person with the German tapes.

Also, when you're on a bicycle, you have more time set aside for transit, and therefore usually a bit more breathing room in your schedule to take those little detours and check things out on a random whim. Many people think that you're simply crazy when you ride your bike to/from work, whether you have a choice or not, but there are those simple pleasures to be had along with it.

I used to use my bicycle in combination with the local bus system, to get to a job that was about an hour away for whomever may be driving their car directly. Most of the time, I had someone who could give me a ride in thier car, but when I didn't, the bike/bus combo was my alternative. Sometimes, stepping out from work in the afternoon, I would look to the sky and see the beautiful weather, and just decide to skip the bus, taking my bike all the way. The first day I decided to try this, I found the trip to be a little over 3 hours. However, the paths I got lost on along the way, and the people I met traveling those paths, were interesting enough, and the weather pleasant enough to make up for it.

Thank you for reminding me why I used to so much enjoy my bicycle-riding experiences. There is a time coming shortly for me when my car will be unavailable for a month or so, and I will have to fall back on my bicycle. Up until this point, I have been dreading the oncoming of those days. Now I can feel more happy as I look forward to them.

- Iszi