Age and Perspective

When I was in high school and riding my mountain bike every day, I used to see guys like present-day me at the trailhead all the time. You know the type: riding a bike that's a year or two old, but it looks like it's brand new; all their mountain biking gear is so shiny it's easy to imagine them pulling the tags off in the parking lot. I used to feel sorry for them, but now I can't tell you how happy I am to be among them. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be in a situation where I could ride every day that I want to, but at this point, I'm thrilled that I'm able to find time to bang around the woods on the weekends. Then today I found myself feeling bad for a guy with a cane shuffling down the sidewalk, but I suppose I should be happy for him that he's getting outside. A little age does wonders for perspective.