joyriding

There's nothing like riding a bicycle. I get a sense of freedom and joy when I ride, especially when I don't have a strong agenda to get somewhere.

I rode today for pleasure. Over to REI for new (cheaper) sunglasses to replace the expensive ones I lost Thursday. Never spend a lot on something small like that that is easily lost! Bought a new non-BPA Camelbak water bottle with built-in straw, blue.

Biked on the north side of Lady Bird Lake over to Deep Eddy and the end of the trail. There's a nice little dock there.

Then to Barton Springs. Sat and watched swimmers and anticipated biking there to swim when the weather gets warmer. There's nothing like an icy dip to cool the body in the pressing heat of an Austin summer.

I lost the rearview mirror for my bike somewhere on the trail to Barton Springs. Oh well! Next time, get one that screws in.

I saw signs for the South Indian New Year Festival at the hillside theater and wandered over there. When I arrived, a Bollywood-type lip-synced dance was on stage. Then some guy played guitar and sang.

Wandered up to vendor booths and bought a red, black, and silver necklace from Jesmeen Sultana, a natural-born saleswoman. She and others were raising money to feed destitute children in Bangladesh through the Sun Child Sponsorship program. For $10 a month "you can save a life by sponsoring a child in Bangladesh". Jesmeen said she sponsored a child and went back to Bangladesh to check it out.

My friends who don't read the news, there is a growing global hunger crisis going on due to the rising price of oil, climate change possibly due to global warming such as a drought in Australia, and the diversion of croplands from food production to biofuel production. We're trying to loosen the grips of our oil addiction, but biofuel can take food out of mouths. The price of staples like rice and corn has gone beyond the reach of many of the world's poorest people. Starvation is happening now in poor countries.

I bought a plate of food--grilled chicken and mixed vegetables--and pondered this. They gave me too much food. I couldn't eat it all. I put what I couldn't eat in the trash, aware that children are starving elsewhere. It seems like a huge problem, bigger than me, bigger than I can do anything about, except maybe donate money and not be so tied to an oil-based economy.

As I was leaving, I stopped to watch a pretty, delicate, young Bangladeshi woman in traditional gorgeous dress do a more traditional dance. The movements were flowing and just beautiful, especially the hand gestures.

I biked home in the twilight, past the Reggae Festival at Auditorium Shores, and caught a big, fat, yellow round moon rising as I turned east on 4th Street. Got home at dusk. It was a sweet joy ride with a tinge of sadness. I wish problems like global hunger were easy to solve. Where is Bono when you need him, I ask? I feel blessed to have enough.