Day of Adventure - A Bump in the Road
8/18: Well, I woke up yesterday and I wanted to have an adventure. The weather was a beautiful! Sunny, cool, breezy...It was a beautiful summer day! This was the kind of day I love to go somewhere new, somewhere I haven't been or do something I have not done before. I like adventures because they help me to be alert and aware and to be excite about what is around the next corner. My car was in the shop so I could not go kayaking (no roof rack on the loaner car). So I decided I wanted to go for a nice long bike ride on a rail trail. After searching for inspiration on Google, I settled on the Air Line Trail in East Hampton, CT. I loaded my bike in the car and off I went. Grabbed some lunch on the road and found the bike path parking lot. It was a popular place! Lots of cars and people running, walking, and biking. I pumped up my tires, threw a mask in my pocket, grabbed my phone and keys and off I went! Let the adventure begin!
The path was beautiful, shaded with patches of fallen leaves - a sign of things to come. I felt like getting in a good ride, so I picked up my pace a bit. The voices in my head were all over the place, remembering past conversations, enjoying the scenery, focused on my speed and reciting positive affirmations and phrases, like "Everything is always working out for me." Then, I was passed by a woman I perceived to be older than I was, and that triggered my competitive side - go faster! The path crossed the road and kept going on the other side. Suddenly, I find myself airborne! I had hit a large rock that I did not see at all. There was a family coming on the left and there was a wooded drop-off to the right of the path. I could not control my bike and I wiped out off the path, tumbling once and stopping in the trees off the right edge of the path. (Not exactly the adventure I was hoping for, but the adventure I received).
The family came right over and the parents immediately started taking care of me. They offered a hand, grabbed my bike, gave me water, and invited me to sit and regain my composure. They said I had a cut on my head, but I was mostly concerned about my right wrist/forearm. I was definitely afraid I had broken it. I could feel and move all my fingers and no bones were sticking out, so that was good! I was about 4 miles from my car and could only walk back. The man offered to walk with me, but I assured them I was ok and encouraged him to go off and enjoy his bike ride with his wife and their children who were patiently and calmly observing.
As I was walking back, one woman asked if I was ok. She stopped her bike to check on me. I explained what had happened and said I needed to get to my car and get some ice. She said there was not much she could do and I agreed. She wished me well and continued her ride.
I was approaching the intersection of the bike path and the road I had crossed earlier. As I approached, I was thinking to myself how great it would be if there was a truck that would take me and my bike to my car. I really would have gladly accepted the help, though I would have walked the 3 miles or so back to the car. Just then, another women on her bike stopped to ask if I was ok. She thought I was having heart problems because of the way I was holding my arm. I explained what happened and she wanted to stay with me until I could flag down a car or something. As fate would have it, I looked over and saw a large black pickup truck parked at the side of the road by the trail. "I was sorta hoping the owner of that truck would take me back," I explained. "Maybe I should just wait until the owner comes back." Then the woman and I noticed the taillights come on and the truck go into reverse. We both flagged down the truck driver and he stopped. "YES!!!" I thought. We explained what happened and the driver, a young Dad with his two kids immediately got out, carefully placed my bike in the back, made room for me in the passenger seat and was happy to drive me to my car. Life is amazing!!!! Once the woman knew I was cared for, she continued on her way.
The young father was so great and his two children were shy and sat quietly in the back. He dropped me at my car and I asked him if he happened to know of an Urgent Care nearby. He explained that he had screwed up his ankle not long ago and had gone to a walk-in orthopedic clinic ( please see the humor in a "walk=in" orthopedic clinic LOL). He was great and found them online, called them for me, loaded my bike into my car and had me follow him to the main road so I would not get lost. Such kindness!!! I wish I had a way to let him know how grateful I was for his help (and I am grateful to myself for asking and accepting his help). As a friend said, he will be rewarded.
I got some ice on the way to the clinic. This involved more kindness from the employee of the gas station as their freezer was broken. He went into the back room and bagged some ice from the employee freezer for me. I found a grocery plastic bag in my car and immediately iced my arm. Felt so much better!!!
Arriving at the Clinic, it was very nice and I was grateful that they were taking good precautions for COVID and I felt safe. Met some nice people in the lobby and was surprised to find out that being left handed was in the "Disease History" section! It made me feel slightly better when I realized that right handedness is also a disease :) Everyone was super friendly and helpful and responded to my sense of humor which helps me in uncomfortable situations. The X-ray tech asked what had happened and I explained. She asked if I had fallen in a puddle (my shirt was soaking wet from the bag of ice that had been leaking for a while!) We had a good chuckle! X-rays showed no broken bones! Rest, ice, ibuprofen and a Velcro brace and a follow up in a week.
I had wanted to get my doctors visits in before my health insurance runs out 8/31, but really?!? In and out in about 1-1.5 hours. Sure beat an ER!! All the while, a dear friend was offering to pick me up, get me things from the store, and texting our group of friends to let them know what happened and that I was ok.
In hindsight, my day of adventure what not about a bike ride at all. This was my adventure in grace and the human heart. An adventure I imagine that will continue to unfold. I am so grateful for all the angels I met yesterday. I wish there was a way I could let them know how much I appreciated each and everyone of them. Today, as I tell the story to friends, I am so filled with gratitude - gratitude and an immense feeling of being supported, cared for and loved. Even when I hit an unexpected "bump in the road", I had absolutely everything I needed and was supported and loved. I am so grateful to see and feel this so clearly that I am brought to tears. I am grateful to myself for my sense of calm and trusting, my willingness to look for the goodness and grace, my willingness to ask for what I want and willingness to receive what comes my way, and my sense of humor that helps everything feel just a bit lighter.
#bumpintheroad #everythingisalwaysworkingoutforme #surroundedbygrace #humanheart #grateful