meander: to proceed by or take a winding or indirect course (dictionary.com)
Yes, sometimes my daily bike ride takes a meandering route. But, more frequently, it is my brain that is meandering, while the bicycle traces a well-known and orderly path. Without fail, the start of my ride is full of frenetic brain activity:
“Ok..helmet? check...
“Gloves? check…
"Do I need new gloves? ...
“Water bottle? Check…
“Brrr….it’s chilly out here…
“No one else is out, great…
“Boy, I wish I had coffee already…
“What is that in the middle of the road ahead? …
“What IS that? …
“Good grief, dog poop. Who lets their dog poop in the road? …
“Must’ve been a BIG dog…
“Oh no! (spotting neighborhood odd ball) Great...don’t look this way, pleeeease don’t look this way….
Big smile, (greeting odd ball) “Good morning” Then silently, “creep”
“Alrighty then, that’s done…
“How far have I gone? Four-tenths of a mile. Grrrrreat…
“Is there a car coming? Do I need to stop here? …
“What shall I make for dinner? …
“C’mon buddy, just go around me! …
“I wonder if Steve would help me paint the front hallway this weekend? …
“What color? …
“Boy, I bet my butt looks big from behind…
“How do I feel? Why do I hunch my shoulders when I ride? …
“Yup, buttimus maximus….
“What’s in the freezer? ...
"What day is it? ...
"Can I just go ho-
"Look at THAT. That house is for sale! Wonder what happened? ...
"Wonder what our house is worth? ...
"Move squirrel...move squirrel...MOVE! ...
"Is that a new pool? ...
And so it goes, cerebral bouncing from topic to topic. About mile 4, I seem to settle into both the ride and to my meandering brain. Without effort, my mind winds into problem solving or creative thought. I find the humor in previously annoying experiences, find a new way to teach an old topic, dream up new quilts, make lists, and reminisce about life with young kids. What would I do without this time for mental exercise?
