Road Trip Day Four

"Traveling is brutality.  It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends.  You are constantly off balance.  Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it."

~Cesare Pavese~

My plan was to ride when I woke up this morning before setting off for Indianapolis for a concert.  It started raining during the middle of the night though, so by the time the sun came up I knew it would be too muddy to ride again today at Brown County.  I packed up and set out early to check out the city.  When I drove into Indianapolis I didn't know what to expect.  I had heard a lot of rotten things about the city from locals I ran into riding at Brown County.  All the negative things I'd been told seemed to cloud my perception, and I had to remind myself to take all the here-say with a grain of salt.  The city did seem a bit run down, but after talking to some more locals I learned that the city had really been spending the last 10 years trying to bring life back into dying areas of town.

I ran some errands, ate some lunch, and just checked out the city until it was close to show time.  I headed back downtown around 6pm to find parking.  Dr. Dog was playing at the Rathskeller in their outdoor beer garden.  I had to pee so bad by the time I got there I was really hoping I wouldn't show obvious signs of a pee-pee dance before I could make it to the restroom.  I made it, and then immediately went out to the garden to order a beer that would fill my bladder up quickly once again.  

I scanned the outdoor garden and considered my approach.  There were picnic tables all around with people sitting in groups waiting for the show to start.  I was taking note of the diverse crowd and thinking about how I should choose wisely who I would approach, as I didn't want to end  up feeling "stuck" with a group of people whose company I wouldn't enjoy.  I spotted a woman about my age sitting alone at a table.  She appeared to be there with someone else, but there was no indication of who or how many.  I approached and asked if there was room for me at the table.  She said there were others joining her, but only a handful of people.  When I told her I was alone she said there would be plenty of room for one more.  We started visiting, and right away we hit it off.  Her husband joined us shortly after, followed by two of his friends.  

They were  a great bunch, and I decided I wouldn't wander, because I figured I would enjoy the show more with such good company.  We talked bikes and music and music and food.  They asked me about my travels, and I was keenly aware of the familiar looks of surprise and wonder at the idea that a young woman would set out on such a journey alone.  The show was even better than I imagined, partly because of the good company.  The guys in the group were even kind enough to find higher ground for us ladies so we could view the band over the tops of the sold-out crowd.

When the show ended they all walked me to my car, which coincidentally ended up being parked right in front of theirs.  I told them I was setting out for a 2 hour drive towards my next destination.  When they drove off I sat in my car debating whether driving was really a good idea since my head still felt a bit foggy after two beers.  Thankfully one of the guys, Brian, had asked me to text him the pics I took of all of us at the show.  He text me to ask if I had safely made it out of the city and I confessed that I was still parked and indecisive.  He graciously offered to drive back down and let me follow him back to his place so I could sleep.  Wisdom told me this was an opportunity I should take, because driving didn't feel like a wise idea at all this point.  

I followed him back and we visited for a moment before I turned in for the night.  He was kind enough to give me his bed, and he took the couch for the night.  Actually it was a chair and ottoman, and I felt a bit guilty for putting him out.  He assured me that wasn't the case, so I headed to bed, thankful for dry pillows and blankets.  I was certain it would be the best night of sleep I had gotten so far.  

As I laid down in bed I hugged a dry pillow and marveled at how just last night this is what I longed for; dry bedding, air conditioning, and quiet.  Now I have it....and I realize I miss the fresh outdoor air and the sounds of nature in my ears.

We are funny creatures; always wanting those things we don't have, and struggling to be content with what we do have.  I believe it takes intention to live in the present and be grateful for the here and now.  Life has a way of running ahead of us.  We can spend so much time in pursuit of it, we get caught up in the race and lose sight of the purpose.  Or we see the purpose ahead of us, but forget what we hold in our hands.

Tonight I'm grateful for the kindness of people.  I'm grateful that an open heart, a smile, and stories are all you need to make new friends.  I'm grateful that no matter how corrupt some things in the world might be...there are always kind people out there as well....