I live in this world as simple as I can. I have a bike.

As none of you may know, I live in the city of San Francisco. A man was shot last night just around the corner of my house, I was watching TV and my ever changing face color in the reflection of the glass window when I saw breaking news that two people in the Mission District had been shot. Just after that, I took the remote, shut off the TV, and mounted my bike. I wasn't on the hut for the neighborhood murderers, nor was I looking for the blood of lives lost as if I were some cocaine trained K-9, I purely was going out to meet up with my brother and some friends in from St. Louis. I know, it was a Wednesday night, semi-foggy, and uninspiring to the ambitions of my fellow San Franciscans, but it was a friends birthday and I'm a loyal, self employed dude so I said fuck it. My ride was noticeably harder than ones of a couple days back due to a high surface area ratio of wheel to road due to my tires being a little flat. I sludged through the mist of the city squinting my eyes as if it was high noon in a world of high albedo with two thoughts working in my head: Is this bar going to be loud? and I'm so glad I never have to look for parking.
My bike is my transportation, my Russian Roulette, my way of making myself feel just a little bit better physically and mentally. I wonder why more people don't ride bikes? Zip Car is cheaper than owning your own car, allows you to use it when you need it, and exercise is scientifically proven to enhance mood, memory, and libido... so why do people still drive Ford V8s in a metropolis? My answer to that is short and to the point. People drive cars because people fear the necessary discomfort of trail blazing. People hate to be the first to do hard work that betters themselves and others around them, people love to watch mice in a cage convulsing while saying "See I told you so" while the mouse's soul leaves the world stamped as one which in fact progressed the human race. I don't mind discomfort when it's for a cause, I don't mind death if my body sprouts progress, I don't mind showing up out of breath for a hot date... I live in my own world but I understand the coexistence of yours, his,hers, and mine... so I conclude with this.
Riding my bike after knowing two lives were taken in my neighborhood made me feel alive for some reason, it allowed me to look at the same fog that witnessed the ultimate sin, it allowed me to wake myself up before having to drink more than I typically would, and most importantly, it allowed me to ask myself to hold two simple thoughts: Is this bar going to be loud? and I'm so glad I never have to find parking... which in a world of high speed people asking you stupid shit... means a lot.

1865
www.1865hiphop.com