Hope

"Hope springs eternal." Or so I hear. Heck, I know it.

It's a new month, and day to day, I've been doing my best to stay positive. A person can only do so much, however. Other stuff you have to leave in other people's hands.

The mountain bike in the above photo is one that I ordered as an upgrade. I got it online on my smartphone while I was lying in a hospital bed. It was not an impulsive purchase. In fact, I had been doing some research and asked my good friend Jim for feedback.

Jim is my oldest, "bestest" friend since childhood. He's someone who would never knowingly steer me wrong. Jim does, however, have a biting wit that balances all good things about him. (I chuckle internally here.)

When I was back at home, recovering, Jim even came up from Knoxville-- despite his busy schedule at work --to visit me here in Maryland, and he helped assemble my new bike. It's a kind of exercise in simple pleasures.

I think that hope has something to do with finding simple pleasures and planning for what may or may not materialize. My hope is to ride that hard-tail, full-suspension MTB on some crazy-assed single-track trails near home, and make it back alive in one piece. Now, tell me if that ain't all about hope!