Sunrise...

Yesterday morning fared a lot better than the previous.  My commute to school was quite pleasant.  There was still a dusting of snow on the ground with temperatures in the mid 20's.  The nice part about the commute was that the clouds were nowhere to be seen.  I started my commute right at the break of day.  About a mile from my house, I cross over I-24 on Hwy 96.  Within the city limits of Murfreesboro, there aren't many hills.  The only elevation change comes from crossing the highway overpasses.  As I crossed the I-24 overpass, I had a spectacular view of my town with the sun rising in the background.  This view gave me a renewed energy for a new day.  This view was a welcomed change from the weather we have been having over the past few weeks. 

This brings me to my next topic.  I read a blog post from the one and only, Dan Hensley, regarding the relaxing aspect of driving a car.  He made several good points but the one point that stuck was, "When was the last time driving home from work helped you relax after a long, rough day on the job?"  While I was riding my bike yesterday, I thought about this quite a bit.  That is what prompted me to stop my bike on the side of the road and take a picture of the sun rise in the distance.  I almost always have my camera with me when I ride my bike.  I love capturing some of these moments when I ride.  However, while I was taking the picture, I realized I was the only one on the side of the road taking in the sunrise.  Everyone else was zooming by me in their cars.  Most were traveling 10-15 MPH over the speed limit and several had a cell phone plastered against the side of their head.  I was content with this moment.  However, I wish others could have joined me in the enjoyment of the moment.

I don't want to come across all anti-car.  Because I'm not.  I own a car, my wife owns a car.  I just choose to use mine a lot less frequently than most others.  My point is that I want people to slow down their minds a little and seek to enjoy life.  If you can do so while driving your car, then great.  Just be courteous of us cyclists who are outside of the box and enjoying our commutes as well!