Karma Karma Karma Cameleon…remember that song? No, ummmm…I guess I’m getting too old. HA! Remember when Boy George was IN?!? Ok, nevermind. Let’s get on with the story telling. I’m not the greatest at telling stories, but I’d like to try anyway.
I went for an 18 mile bike ride last Saturday with my cousin. We made it all the way across the George Washington Bridge. That ride was exhilarating & the view was breathtaking. It was my first time up there & it won’t be my last. We picked an awesome day with perfect weather to bike.
During the trip, I had stopped to help to 2 ladies, one of whom fell off her bike. They were very thankful. I was just happy to help. My cousin & I didn’t know the way to the G.W. Bridge, so the 2 ladies kindly explained how to get there.
Happily on our way, we ran into another roadblock. There were no more signs pointing us to the G.W. I told my cousin I didn’t know where to go. A lady passing by stopped & asked us where we needed to go. Wow, people have been so nice to us today.
We made it to the G.W. Bridge & took some fun pictures. I love jumping pics. They’re so fun & silly. On our way back down the West Side Highway, I got a flat tire! Murphy’s Law loves to show up when you don’t want it to (which is all the time). Of course I didn’t have a spare tube. I had packed my cousin’s bike pump, but not a tube. Argh! So, I ended up carrying my heavy mountain bike until I got tired. Then, I started rolling it on the one good tire for about a mile. That was exhausting. We were 70+ blocks away from my car. Oh, the horror.
While walking on the pedestrian path, 2 men stopped to offer help, but since I didn’t have a spare tube, they weren’t able to assist me. As I kept walking, an older man standing in the shade stopped me. He said he might have a spare tube for me & goes to fix it. It was not the right size for my tire, but enough so that I can roll the bike on both wheels. I offered to pay him for the tube, but he refused. I was so gracious & thankful for his assistance.
We got out of the park & found a train station. As luck would have it, I didn’t bring my Metro card. Darn you, Murphy’s Law, I hate you! They started charging $1 to get a new card, on top of paying for the fare. I told my cousin I forgot my card. A girl by the machine heard me & told me I can take hers. It didn’t have money on it, but I can use it to put the fare on. At this point, I was completely blown away by how nice everyone has been the whole day.
We finally get to my car, got home to shower, & then headed to a nice, family BBQ.
It turned out to be such a fun, memorable, & adventurous day even with the many obstacles we had faced. It has also renewed my faith in humanity. Living in New York City for so long have hardened me enough to a point that I think most New Yorkers are just plain rude & mean. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of those around, but the few people I had encountered that day were kind-hearted, genuine, & generous.
I was telling hubby the story on the way to the BBQ & it was then that I realized things might have been different if I hadn’t stopped to help those 2 ladies on the side of the road. I helped someone & the good karma kept coming. I was just glad we got home safe & sound with smiles on our sweat drenched faces.
Lessons Learned:
1) Always be prepared. Bring an extra tube for your bicycle, as well as the proper air pump. Don’t forget your Metro Card.
2) It pays to be kind to others. You might not see any benefits now or even notice it later, but on those days when you feel like luck is on your side, it could just be good karma coming back for you.
3) I love my family! xoxo
munkie VS the world 