Sunny side up

It was a gorgeous autumn afternoon in the valley.  Yes, in case you forgot, it is a brand new season now.  The trees knew that even before Google doodled the change.

Despite the wonderfully sunny day, there were very few people out on the bike path.

Perhaps it was because of the football game.  I cannot understand how people can be this addicted to entertainment.  I was, therefore, all the more delighted that the local team lost ;)

Of the people out and about, it was mostly women. Women of all ages.  Perhaps many of them are football widows.  Though, of course, some women are even more fanatical about the pigskin than even men can be, and their yells and shrieks during the game could make one wonder whether the ballgame is perhaps orgasmic like the other ball-game!

I passed a family resting against their bikes.  Papa, mama, son, son, and daughter.  I nodded a hello.

I could not understand why not many were outside.  A few weeks down, when they complain about the overcast November sky, I wish I could be next to them to shake them by their sweatshirts and yell, "what the hell were you doing wasting away the sunny September Saturday?"  In fact, that is how life should be.  When we suffer the consequences of our bad decisions and, yet, complain about the awful life, somebody ought to whack us on our head and remind us that we wasted our lives with our own wrong decisions.  (Crap, I just felt a whack on my head!)

The family passed me.  The father was the last one to pass me.  I suppose there is some unwritten code in the family manual that the father should bring up the rear.  However, apparently the same family manual also says that when tandem biking, the man should be in front with the woman in the rear seat.  In all my years of walking by the river, I am yet to see a tandem bike with a woman in front.

Am I the only one who observes people like this and makes snide remarks on life?  What's wrong with me?  I can't even blame it all on my parents, thanks to the wonderful people they are!  I suppose I am responsible for my own bizarre approach to life.  (Wait, why was I whacked for that? Not fair.)

On the bridge over the river, the family had stopped and were all enjoying snacks.  Energy bars and candies.  I wanted to tell them that with all the sugar and fat, energy bars are not any better than candy bars.  But, I didn't.  Let them also get whacked later for the wrong decisions they make ;)

After a while, they passed me again.  As the mother evened with me, she slowed down enough to ask me, "how many miles do you walk every day?"

I laughed.  I assumed it was mere small-talk and not a real inquiry.

She kept looking at me for an answer.  She meant business.

I had to make a quick decision.  Do I tell her that I don't walk every single day?  What frequency should I report then?  I decided to make it easy for all of us.  (Why I am whacked now?)

"Oh, about five miles."

"Wow. ... wow" she said as she continued on.

The daughter, who was the youngest, and looking perhaps six years old, collided with her brother.  "What's your problem?" she yelled out.

I guess she is the darling of the family. She collides with her brother and then yells at him.  Maybe she is a politician in the making.

The father, who was bringing up the rear, responded in an even voice, "you ran into your brother. It is your problem."

I headed home after all the sun that I had soaked up over the five miles.