So I did.
I arrived at the Y, chained my bike to the bike rack and was heading for the building when a woman who looked about my age who was also walking towards the building gestured towards my bike and asked me, "Is that your bike?"
I told her that it was, to which she replied, "Oh, it looks just like the bikes we used to buy the kids when they were young. Those were some great bikes. They just never wear out, do they?"
I do believe the lady was just being pleasant and complementary, but her observation left me feeling suddenly self-conscious about my bike,
Still, I'm not used to people making comments about the state of my bike, and I don't know why the observation of a complete stranger should concern me, but for some reason it did, a little, because after she noticed my bike it struck me that she must have also noticed
But then why, I continued soliliquizing as I hit the eliptical, defending myself against, well, myself, should I go out and invest in a new Schwinn and coordinated Lululemons when, dang it, this old stuff still works?
This is a question I've grappled with before. Half of me would like to replace our kitchen cabinets,
My husband Tom once said to me, "I used to think you were cheaper than me, but now I know you're not cheap, you just don't give a s**t.
Tom's observation is not completely on the mark. I do give s**ts, but selectively.
While one hand has pinched pennies, the other has spent lavishly,
"So why don't you go out and buy yourself a new bike?" he said.
I looked over my old bike and sighed. "Nah, this one still works fine."