Monday, February 22, 2010

The Green Jacket


Oh, believe it or not, this blog is not actually about cycling. I know, you are probably a little concerned about me. It’s okay! I’m fine! I will get back to cycling shortly (trust me…blogs are brewing now in my French press brain). I had a request to write about my personal life and I often shy away from this…because readers are going to discover that I am a sensitive chick…then, they might actually like me or think I am cool…and well, I do not wish to MISLEAD any of you. Instead of cycling, I am going to tell you a story about a green puffy Patagonia jacket.

When you are single, your friends have your best interests at heart when it comes to your love life. I spent a lot of time hearing, “oooh, you need a cycling boyfriend”, “I know someone”, and “I have this friend you should meet…” I refused to feign any interest often rolling my eyes to punctuate my discontent and making jokes about becoming the crazy cat lady (it’s always the backup life plan and I had completed my subscription card to Cat Fancy just for giggles). I have always figured and practiced the old fashioned art of just meeting people. After finishing the century ride and nursing my excruciating sunburned lips (ohhh) I made the acquaintance with another rider I had not encountered before. I referenced his shiny legs in a previous Going Pro blog. Our entire conversation that day was two lines or less but I caught him looking over my bike…almost touching it (STEP AWAY FROM THE BIKE BUDDY BEFORE I THROW SOMETHING AT YOU!!!). I inquired only about who he was (as best I could with swollen lips) and it was quickly explained that he had reunited with his ex for the 100th, 200th, or 300th time and literally I was told to “stay away” to which I easily obliged.

Several weeks later, I romped around the fields of the USGP following the riders through a muddy, murky day, while cheering by an obstacle known as the “Green Monster”. This contraption is a large constructed green bridge that riders dread because as the race wears on, those 6-7 steps seem like a mountain, especially when you are hauling your bike up each time. I stood there with a few friends, cheering, sharing a cowbell, and chocolate brownies I had in my bag (yes, I carry brownies with me, you don’t?). Across several lines of tape, I spotted said person who was standing there in a Patagonia Green Puffy jacket drinking a beer. My friend leaned over and said, “you should talk to him” and I replied, “Um, no thanks.” Even after he came over and offered me a beer which he never went to get me from his car, I walked off and left later that day without giving much attention to him but instead admiring his very green jacket. Green has always been one of my favorite colors…and this jacket is sharp…one might say, “pro.”

I was surprised to get an email from “green jacket” later reading: “Wanna grab a beer sometime?” Hmmm, I like beer...I even like food with beer. Hmmm. Once I confirmed there was no girlfriend in the picture (I do not do drama) and I was pretty certain he was not a stalking axe murderer, I said yes, and walked into a local restaurant with no expectations.I figured if the night truly sucked, I could fake sickness or beg a friend for an emergency text (yes, girls do this). My friends, because they care, would do this for me.

A very funny thing happened….not only did he show up in the green puffy Patagonia jacket, which I complimented, but we closed down the restaurant, only drank one beer, finished off four pots of coffee and then talked by the car for another 45-minutes. I drove home and gave myself 3-hours to sleep only to work a 12-hour day the next. I honestly had not done that in years. Even more odd, is that I had not met someone whom I felt so comfortable with, instantly. We talked for hours…LITERALLY HOURS…he did not seem put off by my “odd” humor (oh I tested the limits) or the fact that I had a sense of humor. We talked bike stuff (a lot)…we talked politics (uh oh)…religion…cars (my dad is mechanic-I am obligated to talk cars)…and about coffee.

I have simple rule…I cannot be with someone without passion. It is not an option anymore as I have encountered too many lifeless individuals waiting to find that spark that drives them. I am in my thirties and I no longer have the patience to coddle someone while they are trying to find that “something.” Whether they enjoy cycling, basket weaving, or puppet making …I have to be with someone who has passion about something in their lives. If they have passion, then hopefully they will understand my passion and support what I do. Rather than closing with some gushing, oozing, emotionally sappy one liner, I will simply say, I am happy and I threw away my subscription card to Cat Fancy. Would I really have time for a magazine that was NOT about cycling anyways? The answer to that question is no, by the way.

1 comment:

  1. Don’t fool yourself with passions, your just killing time until you find the next passion. You might ride another 50 years and it will only mean you never found anything else. Humans, unlike animals who only have one passion and that is to survive, have a constant need to find “something.”

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