I Ride For: Betty
I Ride For: Betty
Another weird/interesting/God Nudge with this flag for Betty. When I got the call from her husband I had just finished the flag for Charmaine so I made the Betty flag as soon as we hung up. That afternoon I did a 30 mile ride with/for her.
Then because of work and bike fatigue I took two days off. On my next ride (a full 72 hours since I had last ridden) I was a mile in when I ran over a fiberglass flag pole with a “Betty” flag on it. In the next 2 seconds I thought:
• Damn! I wish people would pick up their trash.
• That’s weird. I wonder who else was riding for Betty? I bet they are sad that they lost the pole and flag.
• I have never seen or heard of anyone else doing I Ride For: flags in Holland or anywhere in the world for that matter.
• I lost a flag and pole 6 weeks ago, too bad I did not ride over that one. What a cool story that would be.
• Holy Crap! That is my flag for Betty!
I then promptly slammed on the breaks (I have not skidded that far since I was 12 years old) and went back to pick it up.
That in itself would be a cool story, but it does not end there.
I set my bike against a guard rail, picked up the flag, dusted it off, and turned to put it back on my bike. The flag holder was hanging straight down. In other words, there was nothing holding my back tire on my bike except the tension of the chain. The flag must have fallen off because the quick release was released. I had ridden 30 miles this way - standing up on up hills, going down at 35mph, and crossing 2 sets of railroad tracks. That’s some scary stuff right there.
Betty, I know you are just starting a long, frustrating, and painful process. I don’t know what angel you have looking after me, but that’s the only way I did not crash. And I never knew I needed one watching over me. I hope that when you need it in the next few months that angel can deliver a “lost flag” to you. I’ll be thinking of you every time I hit that part of the road. (Which is usually 5-6 times a week this time of year.)
SHINE!
The Road Rider