hopefully they're needed more elsewhere

This past week has been a mix of emotions. Sam and I went to a Matisyahu concert last night, climbing with old friends, getting a placement in Japan for my internship, etc. But all of this has been in contrast with the pain of getting my bike stolen. On Sunday Sam and I discovered both of our bikes gone from off the front porch of my house.

I have lost things, and even had a few things stolen or destroyed, but none of that hurts anything like having your bike stolen. For those of you who live without a car, ride often, and have a passion for bikes, you may know what I mean when I say that it kind of becomes part of your soul. You learn the ins and outs of the bike, the q

uirky problems and strengths, how the breaks, w

eight, turnings, etc feel and react. The hours of repairs, tweaking, shopping for parts, accessories and so forth.

2 Days after the incident, and feeling completely immobile, I found a similar Schwinn that only needed a little work at the recyclery in St. Johns a

nd bought it, but that still only means one of us (Sam and I all but live together) can get around by bike at one time. (not to mention I still haven't picked up a rack for larger loads)

The second let down of the whole experience is that this kind of betrays some of the trust I've had for society as a whole. I'm an optimist and have lots of faith in us all as humans. Perhaps my rather idylic upbringing contributes to this, but I tend to trust people more than distrust them. (I grew up on a small island off the coast of Maine in

a community where people left the keys in their cars, if they had them, and their bikes unlocked) This experience hasn't tainted that view, but I do worry about my bike much more than I used to.

If you have thoughts on bike theft, or experiences to share, let me know

Here's to our lost bikes, I hope they are being used by someone who needs them more than we do.