A bike commuter encounter of the third kind

7,500 miles of pedaling on a 5 foot wide state highway shoulder the past 12 months in Central Wyoming can get a bit monotonous. Sometimes cold. Sometimes hot. Sometimes wet, icy, windy. Many times dark.
Always alone.
Podcasts, music, talking to myself. All methods for shedding the solitary feeling. Mostly it’s great ‘me’ time, but some interaction could be nice.
Then today.
This morning felt like a SETI dream realized when I caught up to a blinking tail light in the distance. It was local biz guy/attorney John Shumacher pedaling his 80’s era Nishiki road machine. I see John on the bus to Lander in the evenings. We chit chat around commonalities like bikes and Washington DC living and politics.
We visited briefly on the narrow strip and then did our separate paces.
I hope he was inspired to commute the 28 miles by my daily example. Not that it matters much, but it would be affirming to feel like a difference was made in someone else’s life. I find myself caring that he enjoyed his ride this morning.
Go John go!
