Tuesday, September 25, 2012

It’s all in the reflexes



I’ve mentioned before how I can’t do the things that I used to do, that I’ve lost many of the various abilities that a body accrues from a lifetime of movement.  And until I try to do something I don’t even know that anything is missing.

Forget that for now, because I want to talk about the trying and some things that I’ve retained.

Sometimes, I find myself trying to do things that I am surprised I even remember.  I can’t get on my bike in the usual way, but even doubting I could I tried.  It was just the natural thing to do.  I have seen this happen for all sorts of things with cycling.  All of the little things you learn how to do to control the bike, ways of pedaling, shifting, handling bumps and potholes and manhole covers and rough patches in the road, negotiating turns and bumps and curves – the reflex is still there.

All of this became so ingrained in my mind and my body when I was a child that it has survived the ravages of time and illness.  Maybe I haven’t remembered everything – after all you don’t know if you don’t remember – but I don’t care.  It’s fun to find myself doing things that aren’t every day activities but that used to be second nature.  And doing it without even thinking.

I don’t even care if I can’t do it well, or even at all.  It’s the fact that I try that I think is cool.

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