Alice in Realityland #7

“ What madam? You don’t drive??”. This is maybe the nine hundredth time she had to answer in the negative and it was getting way too embarrassing. Alice decided that she had to do something about it. She knew that the world saw her in a different light - young, confident and capable career woman; but deep down she was still the li’l Alice who gripped Rachel tight while crossing the road. 

One fine morning she announced that she was going to get a bicycle. Everyone around her laughed out loud. “A bicycle Alice?? Are you crazy? Wouldn’t learning how to drive a car be far more useful to you than getting a bicycle ?”. Even her little one giggled as if her mom was acting weird. But Alice was adamant, and she did get the bicycle on that very day despite all protests. There was no one who could deter her.

This was not Alice’s first time riding a bicycle. Although she had learned to balance way back in her pre- teens she didn’t have much experience riding one in her  teenage or later. She had always been happy on the carriage of Rachel’s bicycle. While an irritated Rachel rode, li’l Alice sang out loud happily.

Riding in her 30’s, thus was a totally new experience for Alice. She befriended her new bicycle and decided to take it slow, one pedal at a time. She noticed that riding slow, just like going fast, can be thrilling as well. It opens your eyes to things you might overlook while on an Uber ride. It taught her that the city was not just about the hideous wart like structures which suffocates but had beautiful green patches which lets you breathe. 

The unhurried pace taught her that riding a bike was like steering through life. It’s about keeping the balance and moving forward. There might be difficult uphills which test the strength of your legs but it will always be followed by quite exhilarating downhill rides. There might be humps and gutters which are wearying but somehow you have to look straight, pedal and move on.

Alice learnt that to calculate and negotiate, with the pedestrians and other varied vehicles that hurried by, is a skill which can be earned through experience . You might feel insignificant on your sluggish two- wheeler , but it will teach you to be patient and always give you the best view from the margins. 

She was quite surprised by the revelations she gained during the unrushed activity and the li’l Alice inside her wondered if Rachel would have ever thought of these aspects when she was proudly whizzing around the town on her red bicycle.Alice  realised that getting  the bicycle was the best decision she had made and holding on to the handlebars she smiled at the world around her.