Meditations

If you stare at this picture for a few minutes you will either enter a meditative state or a psychedelic acid trip. Either way it will provide a good mental vacation.

This weekend I had to cancel my planned Saturday ride because of rain in the area. I couldn't move the ride until Sunday because of family stuff but got a quick 40 mile ride in early Sunday morning before my commitment.

When I do these rides by myself I can sometimes get into a meditative state that allows my mind to focus on a topic and do some metal explorations. Today my mind was trying to understand how I have been changed by people that have come into and out of my life. In general we are all born with certain personality traits but then are shaped by our environment and the people we associate with. Its hard to quantify how much we are changed by the people in our lives.

Some influences are easy to understand the effects. For example I know my career has been shaped by the friends I have made along the way. They helped motivate me to learn new technologies, helped me find jobs when I needed one and most importantly taught me that you need to take risks to advance your career.

Others influences like my relationship with my in-laws is harder to measure. They are good people and have a lot of life experience. Every time I ride past Rova farms I can't help but laugh at some of the stories that they have told me about that place. I know that I have a much much better understanding of how life has changed since their time because of these and many other stories that they have told me. But how much has hearing their stories and perception of the world changed me I have no idea even though I think I am better for knowing them.

At the end of the ride I decided that trying to qualify the influence that people have on me is not important.  What is important is being open to engaging with different people and being open to explore their experiences. This may lean to some new knowledge that may change me for the better and hopefully I can give something back in the process.

Now let me stare at this pattern some more to see if I can solve the mystery of why the weather always sucks when I schedule a ride....