M.I.A.

I know that I have been Out of Circulation of Late.

And arguably, if you know me, like I know me, you know that something is up. With great reflection and self-analysis (my two favourite hobbies, swiftly followed by overthinking) I have realised that I don’t know if I like cycling all that much, or if I have just in fact loved a couple of cyclists and as a result been swept up in a world of lovely people who all ride bikes. And so now I “love” riding bikes. But when those people are not around, what if I don’t really like bikes, I just like the people? And I can’t ride, because I don’t want to without them.

Who cares?

This sort of overthinking has grown old because, in this process, I have remembered some of the people that I in fact do love. And that they are cyclists. And that my major problem is that I think too much. Maybe I just like riding, and this is a major coincidence.

Please take Mik as my first example. Or at least the example for today. I have stolen this picture from someone’s wedding that Mik attended, and I’m not sure it’s the image of himself he’d pick, but I think it really captures the fact that Mik has extremely kind eyes and I have always noticed this about him and I think that they’re lovely. I’ve never had a cruel conversation with Mik, ever, only good, solid, funny, silly, honest, sharp, intelligent, friendly ones. He’s good people. And he rides a bike.

Think about it. There’s a pattern emerging.

Mik is a freelance graphic/web designer type, who has basically brought home the kanga-pesca-tarian bacon with the Melbourne Poetry Map every time I have stuffed it up. Which is quite regularly.

He is also a cyclocrossed kind of a guy, and is responsible for some of the best most pretty happy places things I have seen.

AND HE BUILDS BAMBOO BIKES. Bam. Boo.

He will also be completing the Ride to Conquer Cancer on his bamboo bike, Maisie. Your donation to support him doing this is tax deductible; I found this out when I clicked on the button and sent my pineapple his way today. There’s a lot of very clear information about Peter Mac and where your $$ are headed to and sadly, I won’t labour the point around the various people we all know and love who have somehow had their lives affected by cancer.

For today, the person I am thinking of is my dear friend’s mother, who I just found out yesterday has been diagnosed with breast cancer. I don’t know if his mother rides a bike, but she is someone that has been very kind to me, and showed me much love at a time when I really needed it, and I hope that things work out alright for her.

I’ll leave it up to you as to whether or not you have $5, or $20 or perhaps more that you could support this cause with. Or perhaps there is another way, that you are contributing to the things that mean something to you.

But this, today, means something to me.

[audio:https://eleanorjjackson.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/01-bamboo-banger.mp3|titles=01 Bamboo Banger]

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