Sunday, July 22, 2012

Beauty, in all its forms

So I'm a little sore and a lot sunburned. Yesterday's ride was beautiful on a lot of levels. The unpaved stretch of the Heart of Ohio trail is a hidden, peaceful ride from Centerburg to Mt. Vernon. Route 205 north of Danville runs through Amish country, and I saw more than a few families out in their horse-drawn buggies. I have a lot of respect for the Amish way of life, and maybe I'm a little jealous. I don't think I could adopt that lifestyle though there's no question I'd know what I accomplished on a daily basis. I think a lot of the satifaction in life derives from that one simple thing, but is it enough? It seems that our modern, technology-driven, stock market-centric world hinges on the oasis mentality. We can slog through as long as we get the occasional long weekend or a two-week vacation. What a bleak way to live. I wonder if it's possible to adopt more of the Amish work ethic in a complex economy where most work is far removed from the end product. I guess in the meantime I'll keep riding the bike. There's no doubt I can measure what I accomplished yesterday.

On a separate note, my heart goes out to all the people of Aurora. Nothing can replace the loss of a loved one. Maybe someday we will better understand the fragile people that are so ill-equipped to deal with life that when expectation does not meet reality they harm themselves or others.

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