Monday, August 18, 2008

Colorimetry



Not all riders mix well. In a given ride the perspective of what is happening will change dramatically based on the surrounding influences and circumstances of the individual ride experience.

Only having my own inner monologue and palette as reference, I have to imagine all others have some similar self-conversation and barrage of images and emotions between their ears during a ride and that their behavior is a response to the particular shade of blue or red that they see.

For example, on an average fast-paced ride my thoughts may look like this-

A Japanese kamikaze is taking heavy fire as he swings the yaw over the horizon and points his gun sight on the deck of a carrier ship.

Scene changes to myself as an old man. Fragile, but riding my three-wheeler to go get the mail/ image changes/ I am eating cat food in the park-

King Kong rises up and spreads his powerful arms, breaking his shackles and roaring in pre-mayhem triumph,

I am standing over the stove, vigorously whisking a roux,


And then I am back. In the woods, on my bike, locked on Wrecking Ball's wheel, or far out ahead of Mystery and S'quatch. Many minutes have gone by. I remember nothing since passing the last bench, back across the powerlines ages ago.

I try to pay attention, and thus I slow down.

Now I am standing in the sun, soaking wet, dazzled and blind by the sparkling water of a spring. I hear the thump-snap of a watermelon being cracking open

I am an elected official. I am a superhero. My power is turning pedals.


Riders in front of me. Riders behind me. We are somehow together, yet not.

-Juancho

10 comments:

Human Wrecking Ball said...

Wow, I was leading you out? That was an imaginary vision!

Anonymous said...

I hear huffing primer out of a paper bag is a similar experience

LoPo said...

What I read was a great analogy of LIFE.

Human Wrecking Ball said...

We always try to focus on the least artistic aspect of the blog...It's a sick tradition.
I can only gush over his skill a little at a time or I will be playing the lead in "Taxi Driver".

hitops said...

I get a lot of that "somehow together/yet not" feeling lately. During the part of the ride a few weeks ago when I was still on Juancho's tail, I mused on how my experience was the equal of Bushy's, way up ahead. And then I bonked, which made me doubt my thesis.

sasquatch said...

What's a roux, and where do you whisk it?

Juancho said...

A roux is the delicious base to a fine gumbo or such. You whisk it wherver it needs whisking, usually in a pan on a stove. Tommy makes his in the oven.

hitops said...

And to think ... Sasquatch was once a resident of the Crescent City.

Anonymous said...

Great analogies. Who needs cell phones and internet when you have this.

Anonymous said...

I just texted you the reason