Solitude

 There’s something magical about walking the streets at night. There’s something magical about the cold air against your cheek, the solitary sound of your footsteps on the pavement and this scene looking every bit like something out of “My Fair Lady.” Ignore the horseless carriages in the background.

Due to my bike having sustained a flat tyre the previous week and then having had the wheel warped and non-functioning brakes, I finally decided that the bike needed fixing.

But not after my entrepreneurial and DIY spirit had a whack at it.

So we have a flat tyre. Obviously. I had a go at pulling it apart. At this point, I would like to add “with my bare hands” but that would probably be an outright lie.

Flat as roadkill.

Me showing off my know how. Before I moved up here, I’ve never handled a monkey wrench so often in my entire life.

And of course, you NEVER forget the manual. I’m not quite one of those men who only tear things apart without reading the manual. I read the manual and THEN proceed to mess up the entire bloody thing.

The bike, surrendering to my omnipotent will.

I had the tyre changed yesterday but found out that the metal rim on the bike itself was warped from me having ridden on it on a tar-sealed road so I had to take it to the professionals. Hopefully, they’ll give me working brakes as well. That would be nice, for once.

  I was talking to a few colleagues the other day about how I am, for the most part, a rather introverted person. I usually prefer spending time on my own rather than with other people. Its amazing how many things you see when you’re on your own, rather than with someone else. Now, I really do enjoy other people’s company. I sure do. I have amazing one-on-one time with friends, and with a group of friends I’m familiar with, I’m right in amongst them. (Which brings to mind that we need to have a class reunion soon.) But moving on…

When you’re alone, you have your thoughts. Your joys. Your sorrows. Your little pleasures and little tantrums to deal with. Whether you’re walking with music in your ears or you listen to the sounds of the day dying around you to bow out to the oncoming twilight, you have that little “me” time. Which I think is highly important.

But I’m off. Wellington and the Sociologist awaits!