I took off today to cycle for half an hour. Of course the driving reason was the guilt of not exercising enough. But as I started cycling, it reminded me that there was more to it, just like the feeling when swimming after months; or of the deep feeling when sitting on a boat and balancing with the oars - the feeling of content and natural luxury; and a smile on my face that is present for no apparent reason. I write this with a slight fear of expressing in less impact, of a cycling experience that was so enriching that my words may not justify.
I swished past the main road that was bullied with traffic, into the first street that I could. There was an immediate change in the peace within me. I cycled for about thirty minutes in an area within 2 parallel roads that I usually cover by walk in five minutes. Thanks to the unplanned layouts, I could not comprehend where exactly I was within those two roads. I cycled on the streets taking turns as it led; only bounded by a park and three busy main roads. It was magical. The fact that a step away from the noisy roads I use daily, there was this land so peaceful, rowed with beautiful houses, each surrounded by large trees and plush greenery, and few men and women walking around like props in a scenic painting; and that I was experiencing through this distance, on a cycle that was perfect in speed as opposed to a walk that would make me slow down or quit soon, or on a vehicle that didn't allow me to go in the pace needed to devour this beauty, is what made this experience so special.
When I left home to cycle, I was missing my iPod and wondered how I would cycle long without any music to listen to. How could I be motivated to cycle with the noises of the honks and the motors on the road? I am only glad now that my iPod had run out of charge. The quiet roads with many trees set in Bangalore's uniquely beautiful weather did the magic. The amount of humidity, the amount of breeze, the amount of chillness in the wind were so right, as if it had been chemically mixed in some known proportions that could bring the climate to this perfection.
The silence from the usual life around, these natural noises that go unexposed in most of our days was my music for the evening. There couldn't have been music better than this to enjoy the cycling.
For some time in between, I felt like I was riding through the pages of a book named ‘Buildings of Architectural beauties’. I had my free session of architectural class as I watched through the many houses, each differently built with different materials and different designs, but all somehow spelled simplicity. Maybe it was a theme in that area, or maybe it was the green that was preserved unlike the commercialized main roads. I understood now on why Bangalore was named Garden City. It’s a shame how apparent city’s growth has led to many treeless roads in Bangalore that have lost this reasoning.
On one of the buildings, I read an advertising board with written ‘One Life, Live it’. I smiled now consciously. So true isn't it? Simple and cliched, but how often is this forgotten! We crib for things that don’t matter in another few hours, we sulk for things in our truest opinion we couldn't justify; We carry heavy hearts with unnecessary vengeance, sadness that had to be long forgotten and desires that we hesitate to work towards; We forget to do the small things that give us joy and worry on bigger goals that we more often trouble ourselves to achieve. We forget balance in whole, we forget too easy. Just like how I had forgotten to cycle. It’s been more than two years since I bought my cycle. In the first year I had done not more than one long distance cycling, but at least I cycled often. In the second year, I had ample excuses to not cycle more than once a year, that seem so shameful to state now. And now here I am again, starting to cycle and if it can make me write this, I can’t believe how much I've missed out on not cycling enough. This small joy has made my evening, and I softly in my heart, take a vow to not take a long break from it ever.
There are ‘nothing like many things’ in this world. Cycling is one of them. Each activity brings to you a new experience, a new learning and a new joy. While you try to live your ‘one life’ to make the best out of it, don’t forget to include Cycling on the checklist! And I hope I can someday plan a trip that includes Cycling as the main activity :)
I swished past the main road that was bullied with traffic, into the first street that I could. There was an immediate change in the peace within me. I cycled for about thirty minutes in an area within 2 parallel roads that I usually cover by walk in five minutes. Thanks to the unplanned layouts, I could not comprehend where exactly I was within those two roads. I cycled on the streets taking turns as it led; only bounded by a park and three busy main roads. It was magical. The fact that a step away from the noisy roads I use daily, there was this land so peaceful, rowed with beautiful houses, each surrounded by large trees and plush greenery, and few men and women walking around like props in a scenic painting; and that I was experiencing through this distance, on a cycle that was perfect in speed as opposed to a walk that would make me slow down or quit soon, or on a vehicle that didn't allow me to go in the pace needed to devour this beauty, is what made this experience so special.
When I left home to cycle, I was missing my iPod and wondered how I would cycle long without any music to listen to. How could I be motivated to cycle with the noises of the honks and the motors on the road? I am only glad now that my iPod had run out of charge. The quiet roads with many trees set in Bangalore's uniquely beautiful weather did the magic. The amount of humidity, the amount of breeze, the amount of chillness in the wind were so right, as if it had been chemically mixed in some known proportions that could bring the climate to this perfection.
The silence from the usual life around, these natural noises that go unexposed in most of our days was my music for the evening. There couldn't have been music better than this to enjoy the cycling.
For some time in between, I felt like I was riding through the pages of a book named ‘Buildings of Architectural beauties’. I had my free session of architectural class as I watched through the many houses, each differently built with different materials and different designs, but all somehow spelled simplicity. Maybe it was a theme in that area, or maybe it was the green that was preserved unlike the commercialized main roads. I understood now on why Bangalore was named Garden City. It’s a shame how apparent city’s growth has led to many treeless roads in Bangalore that have lost this reasoning.
On one of the buildings, I read an advertising board with written ‘One Life, Live it’. I smiled now consciously. So true isn't it? Simple and cliched, but how often is this forgotten! We crib for things that don’t matter in another few hours, we sulk for things in our truest opinion we couldn't justify; We carry heavy hearts with unnecessary vengeance, sadness that had to be long forgotten and desires that we hesitate to work towards; We forget to do the small things that give us joy and worry on bigger goals that we more often trouble ourselves to achieve. We forget balance in whole, we forget too easy. Just like how I had forgotten to cycle. It’s been more than two years since I bought my cycle. In the first year I had done not more than one long distance cycling, but at least I cycled often. In the second year, I had ample excuses to not cycle more than once a year, that seem so shameful to state now. And now here I am again, starting to cycle and if it can make me write this, I can’t believe how much I've missed out on not cycling enough. This small joy has made my evening, and I softly in my heart, take a vow to not take a long break from it ever.
There are ‘nothing like many things’ in this world. Cycling is one of them. Each activity brings to you a new experience, a new learning and a new joy. While you try to live your ‘one life’ to make the best out of it, don’t forget to include Cycling on the checklist! And I hope I can someday plan a trip that includes Cycling as the main activity :)
