Noticing the Obvious

Last night I rode with Renee and Randy at Island Lake. Renee was my daughters’ teacher in both 1st and 2nd grade. Randy’s child apparently had Renee the same time Allie did, and I guess our kids are currently in the same 4th grade class. I must have seen Randy at school many times over the years but never talked to him and had no idea he rode until last night. He even looks like a rider: skinny, goatee, and a calf tattoo.

On the trail we ran into other fathers of other children Renee had in school, fathers I must have seen at school many times over the years but never bothered to talk to and had no idea they rode. We would stop and talk then take off again. It took an hour and a half to ride a trail that normally takes 55 minutes. It was a very good ride even though it did nothing to help my lactate threshold.

It has somehow never occurred to me that the people I see on the trails actually have lives off the bike, with kids to take care of, and lawns to mow, and grout to clean, and shit to deal with. I constantly amaze myself with my inability to see the obvious.