I love my jobs!!!
How does this happen? How does a 53 year old woman end up working part time in a cycle shop?
Simple! I am incredibly immature!
And I may be a little bit crazy.
Though I am a passionate cyclist, I am, first and foremost, a writer. It’s in the blood, the breath, the heartbeat. It’s who and what I am, it’s how I connect to more than Self, it’s how I access the intrinsic potential within.
However, it is not easy to make a living as a writer, and so 2015 saw me publish my first novel, and begin working part time (2 days a week) in a metaphysical shop. Still not enough income. I asked the universe for a third day, and held no limitation of where, or who for.
It came as a big surprise to me when my favourite cycle store, Chain Reaction Cycles, put out the word that they were looking for part time staff. Was this the answer to my request? Only one way to find out! So I made contact and put myself forward. If there was one thing I had discovered working at the metaphysical shop, it was that I loved dealing with people, I loved working in retail, and I was good at it! As a writer I see more, observe more, and can put a spin on things in a unique way.
I met with the owner, and we sat down and talked. He knows me well, and the staff know I am insanely in-love with my bikes and cycling. Result: I will be working at Chain Reaction Cycles, on Saturdays! And I am ridiculously excited!! (I can’t start until I have completed a few other short term commitments, but I am so looking forward to this!)
I now have three dream jobs: writing, working in a metaphysical shop, working in a cycle shop. Dream jobs!!!
How am I going to make all this work? Simple: Passion!! Passion for everything I do. Being fully present in every interaction with every person, helping, supporting, motivating, encouraging, inspiring, and bringing a positive vibe every day.
Yes, I am passionate about cycling, and about getting more people into cycling, and hopefully being an inspiration to women who want to try but aren’t sure about it. A bike is simple. Sure, it’s got derailleurs, and gears, and you might get a flat tyre, but you know what? You can learn all that stuff. The sheer enjoyment of heading off to yoga class on your bicycle, just cruising along, or commuting to work and racing flat out, flying past the traffic (and trying not to laugh as you leave them in your wake!—told you I was immature!) As a nation we seem to be far less physically active, and I want to see that turned around.
Cycling is not just for the young, and I want to get that across to people. I am passionate about cycling, and I want to share that joy with you, I want to tell you how much I love to ride at 5.30 a.m., watch the sunrise, fly with a tail wind. I want to tell you how nice it is on a summers day to cycle through the park and into the city for a coffee. I want to tell you how great it feels to bike to the supermarket and buy that loaf of bread instead of taking the car. I want to tell you how much more of the city you will see when you are cruising on your bike.
It’s not just that though, it’s also therapy. Cycling is time for me, it’s time to process my life. And when I am on the Port Hills … it is so quiet, so serene, just me, the bike, and the road. You can’t buy peace like that. You have to experience it. I can be out riding for four hours, and all I had to spend was the few dollars on an energy gel (mostly cos they taste like pudding!!) and a couple of electrolyte hydration tablets for my bottles. Or I take a homemade protein bar, and take a bite of that every now and again.
Obviously, be cautious out there. Learn how to cycle safely, learn how to watch drivers and what to look out for, learn to tune into your gut instincts.
So, how does a 53 year old woman end up working in a cycling shop? She stopped living the life everyone else thought she should live, and she decided to live with passion, doing the things she was passionate about, embracing life to the full, and giving to life to the full. That is what ‘I bring to the table’–along with a salted caramel cycling gel!