For Every Action...

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I've learned that lesson very well. It was in school when I first learned the elementary meaning of the phrase when sitting, calculating away the physics of the world and space. I can still remember the classroom with the white block bricks and black-top tables. The teacher sitting at his front desk, too lazy to stand and walk around (or was gravity too strong for his great mass?). Why did physics have to jump into other areas of my life?

Last week I came to accepting another job. "Another job!? You can't be serious? Let's see how long this one lasts." Yes I found another job, and I believe this one will last. Everything was going great. My first day at Pools Press had just begun and I was on my way to a new career. I was printing, sorting, nipping, tucking, everything that a press would do. I couldn't have asked for anything better. Then the day was coming to a close. Workers were starting to pack up for home and I started to feel that feeling of accomplishment, of a work day done.

"Hey Marcus! Let's go on a delivery. Grab your bike and I'll just drop you off at home on our way back," says my boss.

"Okay, I'll meet you out back," says my mouth.

Nothing. The alley was bare, only rusty pipes, old road, and red brick walls on either side. The spot that I had chosen to lock my bike was naked. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Imagine the equation looking something similar to this:

Good first day=bike being stolen

Strangely that very day Commute By Bike posted a list for the top cities with bike theft. If you want to read what it has to say click here to read. I would recommend a good read through. Other lists were provided such as top cities for commuting by bike. I would have to say that I love this blog and would recommend that if by chance anyone stumbles across this blog visit www.commutebybike.com. For other commuter blog fun, I would recommend going to www.urbanvelo.org to see what the boys at Dirt Rag are doing on the side. It's a great place for forum talk.

Now I know that not everything in life works out this way, I would be naive to think it did. Sometimes things never go right, sometimes things always go right. Stuff is stuff, and we can never hold on to it forever. Stuff gets stolen, falls apart, we die, etc. The important thing is to not place so much emphasis on the stuff that our life gets shadowed. Stuff is good. Being controlled by stuff is bad.

This blog was written while listening to nothing. Silence is a good thing to have from time to time.

Tags: bike, commute, stolen, Urban Velo, work, physics