The Urban Commute

I've always loved the urban commute. The moment to moment and second to second change of events and excitement. There's the terrain changes. There's the traffic changes. There's the neighborhood changes. There's the change in sound, mood, and atmosphere. One moment, you're listening to gear changes, chain, and sprockets. The next second, it's the wind, the birds, a horn, voices, or puddles splashing.

As you ride along, you continue to get in sync with the traffic and the feel of time at that very instant. The nerves are all sharpened. You see things you wouldn't ordinarily notice. Your sense of sight is suddenly heightened. Your sense of hearing is instantaneously augmented. You're in complete survival mode and what I call, my Zen state. Everything is moment to moment and second to second. Then finally, you come within some "safe", comfortable, and nearby distance from your destination. You finally begin to pipe down, nerves are calming, breath is steadying, and though you are still in a very alert state of mind, somehow your feeling is that, it was all surreal...

- Slim