The day started with a fire in the house down the block and then in the afternoon, there was a tragic death on a smoke-filled train at L'Enfant Plaza. Tragedies both. Life can be sad. But press on. Press on.
I thought a lot this morning about whether bicycling in the cold rain builds character and I think my answer to this is a combination of yes and no, but mostly who cares? I don't think you should look to your commute for moral lessons. It's just getting back and forth.
In my experience, "such-and-such 'builds character'" boils down to, "such-and-such is a thing you do despite not really enjoying it, and you suck it up and keep your mouth shut, thereby helping yourself get better at doing other things despite not enjoying them, and at sucking it up and keeping your mouth shut". Way to encourage people to reach for those stars, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteMy take on it is that it becomes its own reward. Such as, "exercise is its own reward," where you might not enjoy it at first, but then you do, and then you can't very well do without it.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, if you don't end up enjoying it, at least on some level, it's probably best to find alternatives. Me, I'd rather bike in the rain than battle Metro in the rain.