Chuck and the kindness of strangers...

Karma is defined in many different ways by many different people.  One of the common short descriptions is that what you send out in terms of energy you will get back.  The whole idea of kindness to complete strangers for no reason than it's nice to be nice.  Love they neighbor and all that if you will.

Seems because I have some how managed to heal and miraculously remain an otherwise out going, friendly, kind sort of person, I tend to act like a buglight.  Folks seem to notice me, and gravitate toward me like I'm a small stellar body.  You know, gravity and all that.

Of late I've been running laps on the streets near my house that take me through several small towns.  As I ride, I'm focused on what I'm doing, but because of that gravity, people notice me and I wind up with a cheering section.  Even riding on surface streets.  One such local has been cheering me on and counting my laps as I go flying by.  He hollers across the street, I smile and wave, and keep going.

With the days getting shorter, the darkness of twilight coming sooner, my last laps of the day are often well into dusk.  Saturday as I was making my second lap around, my cheering section had crossed the street and he tried to get me to stop for a moment.  "Next lap" I said as I flew past noticing he was holding something bright and shiny in his hands.

So on the next laps I pulled onto the sidewalk where he was sitting and said "Hi, are you okay?"  He said yes he was fine and handed me this day glow yellow safety belt.  "My Son wore this when he was an SF and I don't know how to adjust it, but I thought you could probably use it.  I worry that you'll get hit out there riding like a woman with a purpose."  So I thanked him, asked if he was sure he wanted to part with it, and when he said yes, proceeded to adjust it to fit and put it on.  So we chatted a bit, exchanged names, brief histories, that kind of thing.  Polite, friendly conversation.  He said that I amazed him, riding by like that going around the neighborhood.  Turned out he though I was running short little loops in the handful of blocks right there.  He was floored when he found out just where I was riding and remarked he'd probably die if he tried that.  That he was thinking of getting a bike, but not doing anything like I was.

I assured him that a few short months ago it took my almost an hour, where I fell over sever times, stopped and sat for a good long time to catch my breath, and got pretty bruised up trying to do two miles around the lake.  Told him that I've been working my way up, and that now I can do ten miles in under and hour and often do more than that.  That he could do it too and that it was fun and so good for ones health.

His name is Chuck, and he didn't want to see me get hurt.  Complete stranger that is now not so much a stranger.  Seems I'm not the only one who tends to practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.  I kinda like that and thought I'd share!