Things are not always what they seem;
especially when they move past on the bicycle
living in the same town...
traveling down the same set of roads...
growing up in this same basic area...
riding the same loops on my bicycle before and after work for years....
all of these factors have brought me to see some of the same people over and over again over the years
especially those within the bicycle culture

when seeing these various strangers I try to create an idea of who these people are
it is a guessing game that is seldom proven true
yet this guessing game is seldom proven false as I seldom encounter these people face to face
(other than the incidental nod or a wave)

so from across the hectic intersection or passing on the multi-use bicycle trail I see these people
when I see them I make an uneducated guess of who they are...
I guess about if they are a commuter, a racer, someone training, someone out for a ride to get some ice cream, someone forced to be on a bike due to a DWI
I guess if they are going on a long ride or a short
I guess if hey are rich or poor, married or single, native to this country or transplants
the guesses go deeper
I even go so far as try and create an idea of what their voice may sound like
most often when I finally meet one of these people I find that I was not close on any counts
yet I continue to play this game in my head just the same

this morning there was an article in the Washington Post about a woman who travels the city via bicycle
it was a joy to have these questions answered
as expected
I was wrong on all counts

with this woman I had certain thoughts of her sanity
perhaps people who see me traveling on my bike question mine
these questions of her stability were not answered by the article... but I am assuming that she is more sane than I had thought
she clearly is not he homeless vagabond that I thought she was
as a matter of fact she is a professor at Georgetown University
then the story went further
as it turns out she is the mother of someone I went to high school with
this is something that I could have never anticipated
but... as it turns out she is DC Benny's mom
go figure

moments ago as I was crossing town from picking up Dean from a sleep over at my mom's
I saw her
there she was...the mystery was solved
at a red light I was in my car and she was on her bike; that same bike... that same floppy hat
I gave her a hearty wave and hello from my air conditioned car
in a shout told her I saw the article
the exchange was garbled.... distance... hearing... ambient noise, whatever
it was fun to see her just the same
it was even more fun to learn who she is and that I impressions of her were entirely false... as expected

Washington Post Article

I went to high school with her son... did not know him well... but knew him well enough to know he was funny
now he is trying to get "paid" for being funny
although he is now in New York... he still goes by DC Benny
saw his name on the Marquee at the Improv around the corner from work the other day
also happened to catch his performance on Last Comic Standing.... a performance I am sure he would like to forget... as he seemed to cave under the pressure on that night tough business

oh
no offense to any insane people out there
better insane than boring