It’s no secret to any of us that life isn’t fair. Bad things happen to good people and we don’t always get what we want or we think we deserve. As I close in on the last couple of months in my twenties, though, sometimes the reality of things can get me down. We were all raised to believe that if we studied hard and pushed ourselves and did our best we’d be able to get ahead, yet I know many people who are struggling in today’s economy–and many of my close friends, well-educated and highly skilled, can’t even find jobs. Our parents thought they’d given us every opportunity–and they had–but those were simpler times and now things are harder. The whole game has changed and a college education doesn’t mean what it used to.
When I start to feel down in the dumps about what seems like the unfairness of everything these days, it helps me to think about bicycle touring. Everything ultimately evens out in bicycle touring: you pay for it all with your sweat and your sore low back and your strengthened leg muscles. The harshest climbs are rewarded with the sweetest views. A monster headwind results in a tailwind that lasts three days. You work hard and you get stronger, you pedal and you move mountains. Everything is good and just and as it should be.
Originally Posted on the Adventure Cycling Association Website: The Fairness of Bicycle Travel
