re: The Man Behind The Bike

"Faithe’s Lounge is a blog written by a friend of mine that I follow. I would like to comment on her latest entry. Although I shudder at her sweeping generalizations about men who bicycle, part of me agrees with the point that there are hundreds of people who pretend to be something that they are not.


I am willing to admit that I can be guilty of “playing to the audience.” Nobody wants to be the oddball in any social situation. Science has proven that men walk differently when women are watching and vice versa. I may or may not suck my little gut in when an attractive woman is watching me. If the truth be told, so do lots of people. I don’t believe that this behavior is unhealthy.
However, when we lie to ourselves in an effort to become more popular, that is goes beyond vanity or pride. As Shakespeare wrote, “To thine own self be true.” Confidence is probably the most appealing virtue to me. Confidence comes from self-approval. Although we shouldn’t put much stock in what other people think, it goes without saying that we should, even if it’s just a little bit. You may think you look hot with your hair stuffed in that bandanna. However, I can guarantee you that other people have to look at you. What I’m saying is simple: How other people see you is not as important as how you see yourself.
Now I reference a story from the Old Testament. In the time of the Judges (Judges 6), there is a man named Gideon who is constantly faced with the raids of the Midianites. These marauders arrive on horseback and steal the food that Gideon’s kinsmen have worked hard to obtain. After a raid, Gideon goes to retrieve some food that he had hidden and an angel calls him a “mighty man of valor.” Of course, the first thing that Gideon cites is his standing in his tribe. He is the least man, certainly not a mighty man of valor. To the contrary, he was what God said he was. After all, Gideon means “powerful warrior.”
Faithe was right. Sometimes who we are is boring and mundane. Uninteresting and inhibited. Sometimes, we should break the monotony and do something out of the ordinary. I often find it difficult to try new things. However, I find it hard to persuade others to try new things (Faithe). Yet, I do engage in the 15%. But not if it will make me untrue to who I really am.
To the man behind the bike, play on playa. Just remember that a bicycle is not the same thing as a motorcycle. Don’t tell people that you’re in a biker gang when really, you just ride the bike with your best friends around Belle Isle. That’s not even the same.

Until Next Time..
The Minibishop"