the ride 2015

With the summer schedule filling fast, a stellar weekend forecast, and an extra day this weekend for Dad to recuperate... we decided this was our opportunity for The Ride 2015.  This was Dylan's and my third annual Trumbull/Ashtabula county Greenway Bike Trail ride (round trip between Champion, Ohio and Ashtabula, Ohio) and we were plus-one this year, making it Zachary's first trip.

We left a few minutes after noon on Saturday.  The weather was sunshine and lower 70's.  It was a fabulous day to ride and Zachary settled right into Dylan's and my typical pace.

My in-laws picked up an older child's bike trailer on Craig's List.  I removed the torn top and it became this cargo trailer for Dylan to help tow some gear.

Heading up the trail!

Lunch stop

The boys of Track and Field were in good shape for The Ride, having just completed their seasons.

I love adventures with my boys!

Reaching the northern end, Ashtabula, Ohio.  We rode the 45 miles in a little under 6 hours.

$21.35 was the bill to refuel at the Ashtabula Taco Bell!

8:30... is that too early to go to bed?  Remember that $21.35 at Taco Bell?  That provided enough farts to more than fill our 6' x 6' nylon shelter!

Heading home!

We logged a total of 90 round trip miles safely ridden with no mechanical issues.  We encountered numerous forms of wildlife, not the least of which was the recent high school grads dancing on top of their car in the Taco Bell parking lot.  We had some laughs and made some memories... and this sit-behind-a-desk-and-getting-another-year-older-in-a-few-days Dad's legs are TIRED!  But, I won't have these opportunities much longer... they are growing up fast!

So, while I can and they are willing... let's ride!

best self

I had to attend a mandatory mindset training session yesterday for my large corporate employer. They do that every now and then.

Being an introvert, I often find them somewhat painful. But, also being an hourly employee, it's a part of a day that I get paid to not do my regular work. So, that makes it a wash.

Maybe I was just having a bad day, but I found this one particularly painful. It was about our company's new leadership principles and something about how everyone in the company is a leader...

Meh... I wasn't feeling it. But, blogger that I am, there was a takeaway.

The question was asked:  "When are you your best self?"

The intent was to tie that best self (whether it occurred on or off the job) back to our role within the company. It was an open-ended question without parameters, but most folks (at least the ones who publicly shared their answers) were going with some type of performance/achievement/career-based answer.

I'm often not wired that way, though. Although I take my job seriously, real life is what happens outside of work. I work to live, not live to work.

I had never really pondered the question, "When are you your best self?"  It didn't surprise me, though, that my answer had nothing to do with work. It also didn't surprise me that my takeaway from the session had little to do with work, or that I spent the majority of the remainder of the session pondering this potential blog post.

The answer I came up with is that I think I'm my best self when I am just hanging out with my youngest son, Benny.  Not every time I'm hanging out with him, mind you.  No, he can try my patience and bring out my not-so-best self, at times... many times!  But, at this stage in my life, the times I see myself my best self are the moments when I let myself be drawn into his world.  Because of Ben's disabilities, he still has innocence and imagination beyond many six year-olds.  When my world and his merge in a way that allows us both to leave reality behind for a period of time and just enjoy each other, he brings out my best self!  It is in those moments that I feel like a good Dad.  It is in those moments when I realize the blessings of parenting a child with intellectual and other disabilities.  It is in those moments when he makes me feel like I'm doing something right. 

No, I don't think Benny really realizes that his six year-old self has a gift to make people happy.  But, he does.  And, when being with him makes the world's pressures melt away and his happiness rubs off in a way that brings out patience, compassion, empathy, imagination... yep, there it is... best self!

best self-ie!