Rusty

She spent her time sitting in a dark corner, abandoned.

Most wouldn’t give her a second look as they passed her by.

Like many her age, she had seen better days.  No longer shiny and smooth, she sat slumped over.  Disconnected. Forgotten.

No one could quite remember the last time anyone had taken her out into the neighborhood or beyond.

So it was a surprise when that teenage girl, muscles to burn and ready to roam, asked if she could get her fixed up.

Next thing you know, some new tires, a new saddle, and a fix-up of the gears and boom! She’s ready to roll. Good as ever.

I bought my Diamondback Sorrento bike over 20 years ago. I was in one of my fitter phases. She was a blast to ride. But when kids and other responsibilities came along, she moved further and further to the back of the garage.  Years of neglect left her a mess.  But deep down she still had a strong skeleton.  All she needed was some investment.  Some attention.  Some care.  And someone to see what she was capable of who would take action to create change. Bring out the strong beauty she had inside.

In some ways, I feel like my bike. Over the years, since the last fit phase, I had let other things pile on.  I pushed my health and body further down, down, down the priority list.  But over the past 2 years, I’ve had people encourage me to get back into better shape.  To invest in myself.  To pay attention and take care.  I was a mess, but not beyond repair.

I may be rusty still.  I’ve got scars, wrinkles, and signs of age.  But, I’m getting to the point where I’m excited about getting out and going for a spin as often as I can. I still have that strong beauty inside.  Surely, with some investment, I’m going places I can’t even imagine, coming out better than ever.