Mountain biking suddenly makes sense . . .

. . . or why some girls get dirty.

For years Mountain Biking never made much sense to me.  That girls, women of otherwise sound mind would?  Well that was a puzzlement.  Not because we are any less than guys in any way, just that well, I don't know, it meant getting dirty.  And not just take a quick shower dirty, but I mean really dirty, even, the horror, coming off a bike and getting beat up kind of dirty.  Why would someone want to do that?

I bought a mountain bike figuring I'd work my way up to it.  Suddenly getting dirty isn't such a bad thing, then again there if the fact that some people I know, respect, and admire do it and hey, they enjoy it.  Dirt and all.  The other thing that really helped it click?  Memories of being on a horse years ago, flying through meadows, woods, along the river, around the lake.   Deep, powerful memories that were awakened in me, and the feelings of freedom and flight, that so speak to my love of cycling.

I have enough trouble affording me, keeping a roof over my head and food in me.  No way that I can afford a horse, or a roof over it's head, and food to feed it, or a pasture to run around in.  I'd love to have a horse and be able to go riding again, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

Which is when it hit me.  I own a mountain bike.  A Mountain bike WILL take me through meadows, woods, along the rive and around the lakes all I want.  I can afford her, care for her, house her, and I don't need to give her a piece of land to run around in when we are not riding.  Instead she sits here in the living room waiting for me to take her out.

I can take her on mountain bike trails, flowing through the terrain, enjoying the sounds and sights of nature.  Together we can and do fly.  I really get mountain biking now.  "Smooth and flowing singletrack" now really means something to me, and one day soon, I'm going to get me some of that.  I'm going to get dirty!  Mountain biking now makes sense to me!