Humanize the Earth!

tonight’s critical mass

September 30, 2005 at 11:14 pm | In bicycle, meaning in life, humanize, friends |

sent to the Chicago Critical Mass email list:

Had a bit of a surreal ride tonight. First off, a friend of a friend whom I hadn’t met yet (we’re supposed to have coffee on Wednesday) contacted me this afternoon to see if I had a bike I could loan. I actually had an extra bike at work that I thought would work so she met me and while it was big, she made it work. So here she is knowing no one, first mass, on my too big bike, so I felt resposible to stick by her, ya know? Which is great, talking a bit and getting to know each other. Then a former roommate starts talking wtih me and telling me some really horrible crazy stories about what’s happened in his life since I saw him last. He really needed someone to talk with and there I was. For miles and miles. I kept my eye on Sarah to make sure we were still together but couldn’t really talk wtih her as Matt really is in a bad spot.

Often my mass conversations go back and forth between non-biking stuff and noticing cool things about the mass itself and neighborhoods we’re going through and interacting with cagers and peds. Tonight was none of that. Tonight was just about avoiding running into people while I tried to focus on what Matt was saying and trying to find something helpful to say.

And then at one point he was gone. Up ahead, I think. Don’t really know. Got to see Kelly and Travis and Evan. And then after seeing the smashed in cage windshield on Irving, Sarah and Sam were on the corner saying they were heading home. Sarah (with my bike) was ready to leave as well so I bid her farewell and she took my bike to the Irving Brown Line stop while Sarah and Same and I rode south on Damen, all the way to Cermak, meeting Ross and Julie (did I get those names right?) who live in McKinley Park, quite near our place at the Hub in Little Village.

Anyway, Matt, I hope you’re okay man. Send me a note if you see this.

Everyone else, thanks for the great night!

peace,
ted

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Humanize the Earth! http://tedernst.com