Day 9 Sabbath

On Saturday night, before the Sabbath, I went to the grocery store. I went home with two grocery bags that probably weighed 20 lbs. Yesterday, I rested and ate, and I almost finished all of the 20 lbs. I think I might have had a calorie-positive day yesterday 🙂

Day 10: Lillooet to Ashcroft. 70 miles. 5893 feet elevation.  Weather perfect.

“Sincere words are not sweet and sweet words are not sincere.” Lao Tzu in The Tao Te Ching.

I think I mentioned previously that I asked an AI if I could only read 10 books, which 10 should I read? So far, I’ve listened to 2.25 of the recommended 10.

First, I listened to The Little Prince. Fortunately, for me, it was simple enough that I generally understood the message. The following recommendation I tried was “100 Years of Solitude”. I got through a couple of chapters, but it was disgusting, and I couldn’t stomach it. Obviously, the “I” in AI is based on what it has scanned on the internet and elsewhere. I’m not sure who’s recommending that book, but they have a screw loose.

Today I listened to the Tao Te Ching twice – it’s short. If I understand things correctly, this is basically the Bible of Taoism. It’s considered the way. Some of it reminded me of Jesus’s Beatitudes and other teachings. BTW, I’m not sure why the Bible, or at least the New Testament, wasn’t recommended in the list of 10. Anyway, some parts made absolutely no sense to me, even on the second listening. I have to say the quote above was one of my favorites, as it hit me while riding down the trail and I realized what it meant.

Today, the ride took me from the lush valley of Lillooet to Ashcroft, which is called the oasis of the desert. Apparently, I’m not a very good map reader, because it was about 10 miles farther and 1,000 ft higher than I had expected. That made the last bit a little difficult, but it still wasn’t a bad day, especially since I was dry.

So, how can you be 10 years old again? Unfortunately, nowadays, being 10 years old means spending time on a screen. When I was 10 (now I’m really sounding like a senior citizen), I rode a bike like a madman because it was the most incredible freedom I’d ever experienced. So to be 10 again is getting a big BMX bike—in other words, my 29er MTB—and flying down huge hills with a cape streaming out behind me: my sunshade. Then it’s jumping into a cool, incredibly clear lake. It’s being in awe of simple new things like The Little Prince. Gratefully, that’s what this ride is for me in many ways.

It’s being 10 years old again, but with the credit card of a 66-year-old and the opportunity to cross an incredible country. It’s seeing new things, meeting new people, and having unparalleled freedoms every day. It’s like being 10 years old but on steroids. Although, admittedly, on some of the uphills, I wished I had steroids.