On the road again

Finally, I got my first bicycle ride of the season in. I'm two weeks behind last year because of bad weather and general sloth on my part. If I pedal faster, maybe I can catch up.

I took my favorite route for the inaugural event -- around Hutchins Lake on a 10-mile loop. It's a peaceful ride and the lake view is beautiful. Some of the cottages are still boarded up, but one was open and the occupants had a fire going in their fireplace. The smell of the smoke was comforting on this damp morning. I managed to dodge between rain drops for the ride.

The ducks and swans are all over the lake -- it was their kind of morning. Last year when I started riding, the lake still had large patches of ice on it. Not this year. It's wide open. The frogs are still calling in the marshes and forest and the red-winged blackbirds are perching on last year's corn field stubble.

The workers were just getting into the grape fields around FennValley Winery and a few farmers were out, but not in the muddy fields yet.

The whole ride had a damp, musty smell about it, but it was invigorating. The strong south wind was a challenge for part of the ride, but nice when I turned north.

That bicycle column

Besides enjoying the sights and smells, I was still running over in my mind my choice last year to cancel my bike column for this summer. I'm not sure I did it for the right reasons, or that I made the right choice.

I've done a column in The Holland Sentinel for a few years and really enjoyed it. It allowed me to mix two activities I crave -- bicycling and writing -- but I felt the whole endeavor wasn't being taken seriously by my coworkers and supervisor. Last year, they had an intern laying out my stories and he just butchered them. He wouldn't use the sidebars, maps or photos I submitted.

The columns were no masterpieces, I admit, but they were more than just a "Hey, I made this ride wasn't it great." Each column involved some research -- often hours of Internet work, phone interviews, personal stops to talk to people, time in local museums doing research, not to mention the ride time itself. Also, I would often go back over the ride later in my car to confirm mileage marks and get photos.

Note: I am a salaried employee and got no extra money or benefits from doing this column. It was all done on my own time with my own equipment. I didn't even get The Sentinel shirt I request. I wanted a shirt with the words "Holland Sentinel" emblazoned on the back so I could advertise the paper as I rode about the area.

Much of the feedback I got from my supervisor was sarcastic and uninspiring. If my physical appearance wasn't being made fun of (I know I'm not Adonis in my Spandex shorts, believe me), I was being blasted by my coworkers for not picking routes in Ottawa County areas. I kept telling them I live in Allegan County and Ottawa rides take more time and planning (I did do a few Ottawa routes last year, by the way). Seemed I often got mean-spirited jabs.

I received a commendation from the Allegan County Board of Commissioners for adding to the county's image in a positive way and promoting tourism. My supervisor's only comment involved the word "patsy." I sometimes sent him e-mails I received about the column, and my boss just asked me to stop because he didn't want to hear about them.

I did get support from the sports editor. He told me to take the time I needed for the columns and to take a break if I wanted to.

Ego

All this involves ego, something I need to control. I didn't feel I was getting the acknowledgement I deserved for adding value to the newspaper at no expense to the corporation. That's not the right reason, but I couldn't get around it. Remember that everything in the media, even at my level, is about ego and self importance. We wouldn't be in this field if we didn't have a need to garner attention and pats on the back.

Then I meditated on the words of Krishna -- that all work is to be done with the best ability for the glory of Brahman. Well, I felt I couldn't do my best under the circumstances.

We'll see if this riding season brings me to a new conclusion. It's a long summer.

Thought: Tomorrow never knows.