Ride

I just finished my first 50+ mile bike ride this weekend. I've done charity rides before, but the energy of volunteers here was incredible. Riding alongside a 20 year veteran of a ride like this is nothing short of humbling. Passion and dedication are terribly contagious qualities.

A favorite quote of mine by Polly Berends says,

Everything that happens to you is your teacher. The secret is to learn to sit at the feet of your own life and be taught by it.

You could say the same thing for every person you meet as well. People come in and out of our lives for reasons we may not yet understand. And there lies a magnificent mystery. So long as we understand meaning exists, what great adventures lie for us in unravelling it over time? When everyone's a teacher, the world is your classroom.

I have no idea what brought some 100+ riders and volunteers to a small elementary school in Portsmouth, NH, but it doesn't change how grateful I was to have been a part of such a great experience. Following in the footsteps (or tire tracks) of giants makes going an extra mile a given.