The Old Lady Riding Her Bike up the Hill Was a Metaphor for How to Succeed In Life
You can learn a lot from simply watching those around you…
I recently got hold of a new bike. Sure, there’s a pandemic-fuelled worldwide bicycle shortage, but with things like bikes, second-hand is usually the way to go and buying used was the only way I could get my hands on one that was big enough here in Korea, where things can often be on the small side (I think I’ve only ever found one pair of shoes that fit me in 10 years of living here).
My intention was to start cycling to work in order to get fit and drop a few pounds as well as do my bit for the climate by ditching the car in favour of two wheels.
On that first ride to work the day after bringing my new bike home with me in the car, I have to say I went a little crazy. The joy of the wind in the hair, the freedom of self-propulsion and the thrill of being able to go where cars cannot made me giddy and I did the ride to work in 25 minutes flat. I was shocked. I hadn’t ridden for the best part of a year, yet here I was doing my best Bradley Wiggins impression, stunning the good people of Ulsan, Korea with my athletic pedal power prowess.
I cruised smugly into uni, taught my classes and then, after lunch, proceeded to mount my steed for the return leg of the trip.
