Word and illustration by ambassador Kate Strom.
For the first time, maybe ever, I rode through the city without an ounce of fear or hesitation. My city may be closed, but streets everywhere are wide open. Cars are nestled in their garages, a welcome quiet permeates the streets bringing peace of mind to two-wheeled commuters and pedestrians.
Just like in the waning days of the Black Plague, a Renaissance is brewing. More and more tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are getting on their bikes, taking to the streets and reclaiming their neighborhoods as well as their sanity. Dusty, forgotten machines are being resurrected at the local shops and shiny new ones are flying off the shelves. Parents are remembering out how fantastic it is to exhaust their children through an over-indulgence of fresh air. Skaters and BMXers have a kingdom of new playgrounds in the paved deserts of abandoned office parks.
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In an effort to escape the monotony of In These Uncertain Times™ and As We Navigate The New Normal™, commuting for the small things or just because it feels good has become much safer and more enjoyable than ever before. I’ve found that the new normal is actually the bike utopia that we dreamed our communities could be.
Here’s to everyone finding their Cures For Cabin Fever™ on a blessedly open road.
