The winking out of consciousness

"Claire Petersky" wrote in message
news:4nDRb.133247$nt4.581600@attbi_s51...
"Don Quijote" wrote in message
om...
"Pete" wrote in message
...
"Don Quijote" wrote

What will we see first, a man on Mars
or a man riding his bicycle safely on the street?

well...since the second has been happening for over a century, I guess
there's your answer.

You lose. I said "safely"...

Heck, I did it just on my way home from work today. How safe do you want
it?

In this other thread, quoted, I wrote the line above. Later, I was thinking
first that part of my ride home on the street was changing lanes from the #4
lane to the #2 lane, on a busy suburban arterial in front of a shopping
center, such that I could take the outer of the two left-turn lanes and turn
on to another street, and perhaps some would not consider such a maneuver
safe.

Then I realized that, since I have done this multiple lane change so many
times, that I really had no recollection of making it. I could remember the
previous intersection, where it widens from one lane in my direction to
four, and I have to go from the shoulder to the #3 lane (#4 is right-turn
only). But I didn't even remember then sitting at the light, really.

I also could recall, after I had made the lane change over to the #2 lane to
make the left, getting a green immediately, and pedaling through the
intersection, without having to unclip, a fairly rare occurrence.

After realizing all of this, I began to wonder what, if any, of the ride I
really could remember. So then, I mentally reviewed the whole PM commute
home, and came to several conclusions:

o There are huge whole stretches where I have no memory of the ride. I
wonder if it's in part because I took probably the most familiar route home
in every respect -- no part of it was a section that was relatively new or
unusual.
o I specifically remember things where there have been experiences of
physical pain or fear in the past. For example, I can remember very
specifically riding to avoid a pothole that has been very jarring in the
past when I haven't gone around it. (The first time I rode over it
unexpectedly in the dark - oy!)
o I remember shifting my gears only once, but the ride is hilly, so I must
have been shifting them all the time. Funny how automatic that process is!
o Natural phenomena only struck me when it was unusual -- for example, a
tree full of cacophonous red-wing blackbirds sticks in my mind.
o Motor vehicle traffic volumes don't seem to be a factor in whether or not
I remember a portion of the ride -- only if the motorist was noticeably
inept.
o Pedestrians made a section memorable, though -- if there was someone
walking along, then I remembered that part of the ride.
o There's one part where I often ride no-handed. I can't remember at all if
I rode no-handed there or not. Because there was two pedestrians before that
part, I remember thinking, "oh, after I make the turn, I will be no handed".
But was I? I have not a clue.

Ironically, if I had any focus word or phrase for the ride, it was "sh'ma",
or "listen". But was I listening? Was I awake? No way!


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com

Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm

Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at:
http://bookcrossing.com/friend/Cpetersky
My bookshelf: http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Cpetersky

"To forgive is to set the prisoner free and then discover the prisoner
was you."

Ironically, if I had any focus word or phrase for the ride, it was
"sh'ma", or "listen". But was I listening? Was I awake? No way!

Cold weather does strange things to consciousness. One of the
milestones on my commute is the All Nippon Airways office, it's
just so placed that when I pass it I always think, "All Nippon,
all the time." Stupid, I know. But it's a focal point, just before
I hit the left turn and "hill" on 15th Street.

If I'm too zoned out to notice it I take it as a warning that I'm
too far into my ride and not alert enough.

If I missed that little ritual, though, how would I know I didn't
do it?

Habit, which is a bad trait among commuters.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
in.edu__________