Prescription: 22 Miles of Sunshine

Panola Mountain Bike Trail

Some people go on lavish vacations to lovely places with beaches and high end shopping. 

Not me.  We mostly save our pennies to pay the septic tank man or buy a new eight year old car when our even older car gives up the ghost.

Today, after the scramble of getting kids to school, lunch boxes and assignments prepared; I drive to court and hear other people's problems.  When the hearings are over, and I've hung up my robe, I load up Spooky and head to the parking lot of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit.  And there, with the sun shining and my GPS beeping to record the miles, I pedal away all other concerns.

My Beloved Spooky

In those hours riding the bike trails, my only concerns are making the turns, attacking the hills, avoiding a flat tire, and staying hydrated as I zoom past rivers, trees, playgrounds, and startled deer.

Hawks swoop overhead.  Life is suddenly real-- tangible and simple.  Cold wind.  Shadow of trees.  Bright sunlight and a rolling river.  Burning legs and gasping lungs.  How fast was the last mile?  Can I go faster?

Unlike many who view exercise as a means to an end, cycling is my prescription for fatigue and world weariness.  Nature heals me. I arrive home smiling and content.  All I needed was 22 miles of sunshine.