Slow Sunday Scenes from the Village

It seems everywhere you turn these days there is talk of building walls, of inclusion and exclusion. It seems that the loudest of all that talk comes from the mouth of one person who I am not going to help publicize by repeating his name. This person loves to talk about himself walls, some of which are physical barriers, while others are metaphorical ones separating the Us from the Them, but both types serving the same purpose - to divide, and isolate. What a strange place, I think, that we find it necessary to recycle these failed ideas every so often, forgetting to remember that such beliefs have never resulted in success, or growth, or a return to anything or any time, resembling a perception of greatness. You do not attain those things - success (by what ever means it is measured) or growth by placing barriers and instituting limits. To the contrary, diversity is key - diversity creates the opportunity for the exchange of ideas, opens the doors to new ways of thinking, expands possibilities.

What if our cycling community were to suddenly disallow people with different ideas of the activity, or different ways of participating in it, or the opportunity for an individual to view him, or herself, as an active part? Cycling would have died off years ago. When I stand on the corner taking photos for a Slow Sunday Scenes post I witness a great diversity in our community of cyclists and recognize in that a microcosm of society that will grow as long as it does not limit itself, place constraints on who constitutes the Us and, perhaps most importantly, welcomes and encourages the Other to join. So will society.

coming and going

i don't recall ever seeing so many large bouquets leaving the market

basket. full.

the kids are alright, because the kids all ride