"This year's race will be in the area where George Washington famously crossed the Delaware River during the Battle of Trenton. He once said "it is better to be alone than in bad company." Agree? Disagree? Please explain."
This is what I came up with...
I think we’re always alone, in some sense, when we’re on the bike. I don’t know that anyone ever sees the road the same way. Ask the six of us to describe the ride, the day, a stretch of gravel, and I’m fairly certain you’ll get 6 different answers.
On the other hand, I don’t think we’re ever alone on the
bike. There is always the bike. On most days, there is no better companion.
History tells us that General Washington had a favorite horse, Nelson, upon
whom he received the British surrender at Yorktown. I can imagine that even
during the darkest, coldest moments of the Revolution, as long as General
Washington was with Nelson, he never felt truly alone.
The company we keep makes all the difference. I would
indeed rather be alone than in bad company. The days are hard enough already.
The struggles beyond the bike can be so overwhelming. We are working so hard to
find something. To find a balance in our lives. Our families. Our careers. Our
loves. A poor choice of companions can corrupt the purest intentions. Their
presence alone is an illness, another struggle to overcome.
Proper companions elevate us. The group finds the best in
each individual. That unique quality is brought to the fore, and when added
together with the bests of the bunch, the whole becomes so much greater than
the sum of its parts. I am grateful to have found such company in my life. It
is a blessing, and I am honored to be a part of it.
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