by “There is always an unexplored neighborhood somewhere in the city.
There is always more of the infinite mystery of the Holy to explore.
There is always a new road to ride.”
Reverend Laura Everett captures the joys, challenges, and inspirations for a Boston bike commuter in Holy Spokes.
Being a fellow bike commuter in Boston, who attends church semi-regularly, this book is targeted right at me. Her writing connected with me on many levels.
The delightful Rev. Everett uses the parts of the bike as a metaphors for her inspiration and spirituality. Then, she weaves her own memories into context.
Bike commuting is not without its challenges. But it also comes with great rewards. You get a connection to the city that you can’t appreciate when you’re trapped in 3,000 pounds of steel and blocked by traffic. Unlike walking, you get the wind in your hair and the speed to beat traffic. You get exercise. Light if you pedal slowly, and heavy if mash the pedals to power to your destination.
I’ve met Rev. Everett a few times. The first time was at a ghost bike ceremony for a cyclist killed on the roads. She has had to perform too many of those ghost bike ceremonies. Hopefully, road conditions and driver performance will change for the better so she will have to perform fewer of those.
If you’re a cyclist or are thinking about cycling, this is a great book to add to your reading stack.
