Do you "Pray" while riding?
I’m a frequent poster to Bikeforums, not only as an avid cyclist to communicate with the like-minded, but also to record my thoughts (“journal”) about my cycling lifestyle, which I would not write about otherwise without such a Forum as BF.
I don’t have permission to access P&R, and am not interested in applying, but I thought the topic was worthy enough to me at least to record my thoughts. Furthermore I think this topic will likely get buried in all the snarkiness on that subforum. SO FYA, if interested (or not) I have written my reply to the Pub 51 sticky thread on the Fifty-Plus Forum, because this thread is
And furthermore, as
SammyJ, OP of the aforementioned thread wrote,
“…How about you?
(and NO, I'm not evangelizing here!).”
I was disappointed to see this thread moved to P&R. For the first few years after I joined Bike Forums, I liked the Fifty-Plus subforum because while it was composed of like-minded cyclists of my generation, it featured posts about how cycling fit into a more broad life outlook (
Weltanschaung). Nowadays, it seems much to be a mish-mash of topics that could easily be found in Road Cycling, Bicycle Mechanics, Touring or whatever…important and relevant, but mundane and not overarching.
Anyways, my reply to the removed thread itself, without getting into my specific theology, is that mostly my thoughts on the road are about work, family and more immediate issues; sometimes even composing posts to BikeForums in my head. On occasions I might ponder and give thanks for the Existence of Life and the World.
On my first major ride of last year, down in Rhode Island, I did adopt this roadside statue as an icon of my Guardian Angel of the Road. It reminds me of this Guardian Angel figure from the illustrated cartoon strip, who assumes that protective warrior image in times of danger to his ward.
One other spiritual benefit I enjoy more frequently and usefully on the Road is:
This thread may encourage me to more often ponder and give thanks for the Existence of Life and the World. (BTW, my job, to which I cycle commute also encourages such meditations, even more frequently than bicycling, but I won't go there...
).