“Vanity of vanities. . . all is vanity” (Eccl. 12:8)
After a long, long while, last Saturday, April 2nd, like a victorious persistent suitor undeterred by repeated failures, i.e. dumping by the girl he would always hound, Pastor Homer finally succeeded in tugging me along in a cycling tour of Igbaras town.
For the record, the now-peaceful Igbaras is my most beloved municipality after Miagao as we’d regularly visit there every May 22nd since I was a toddler until I turned college-bound, the place being my beloved paternal grandma’s hometown.
As we wandered around the wonderful scenery, natural and man-made, along with the riverside, my mind could not help wander likewise and backtrack to my first ever bicycle ride. Then, we had to spend rent budget of One Peso and Fifty Centavos per hour per bike—mind you, that was much a long time ago— when I was in our freshman high.
That BMX bike house was memorable indeed, being one of so many spots in my childhood so dear and most beloved. That spot was located along Osmena Street, several meters away from the house/hardware of Tay Doming Abəd-abəd.
And one of those bikes nearly took my then young life when, driven by a good friend pretty boy Nomer Garzon, it descended fast from Pongkie’s old house along Orbe Street and inexplicably skidded and tumbled upon nearing the public market. Before that, I enjoyed with our speed for I was sitting on the bar at the front sideways, and after we’d been thrown off which, the right handle’s end hit the hollow part below my chest, suddenly stopping the air and I gasped for breath.
Good thing young Nomer was thinking fast and acted quickly like a well-trained medic of the town. He rose up first, unmindful of his own pain, held both my underarms and shook me up and down. When I regained my senses, the first thing I looked for was our bike. It had to be returned intact, although Nomer and I were limping alike.
That sunny Saturday, as our group was drifting on momentum or, in biking lingo, on a free-wheel, I could not avoid the thought as well that since things at times come full circle, life itself is like a cycle. When we inventory ourselves, our past, our dreams and wishes then, we recall that sometimes we were gloriously on top, at times we’re desperately down. There were times when all we would think about was a sportscar or a ‘top-down,’ however, there comes a time too when upon all those things we frown.
So many rich people had admitted that cars and limos are all in vain, when gout and arthritis pain, along with other ailments, start to creep in. Enough to convince you that in his final conclusion that “all is vanity,” King Solomon was definitely right. All pleasures and luxuries in motored wheels are all nothing when we are already reaching the twilight.
That all we need after all are still the basic things in life: God’s love, grace, and mercy. Followed by a little bike.
No comments:
Post a Comment