The Perfect Birthday Gift?

Frosty Wooldridge

When you reach each birthday as a child, you can’t wait for the next one because you’ll be another year older. You excitedly said, “I’m 6 and a half years old….” That statement let everyone know that you were almost seven! Wow, what a milestone! And then, you couldn’t wait to become a ‘teenager’.

As the years fly by, 30 is okay, but 40 means you’re halfway done with your life. You don’t get too excited about reaching 50, but it arrives in the blink of an eye. Soon, you blow past 60 and wonder how the heck did it happen so quickly.

So it was with Don on his first trip coast to coast across America as he found himself in the middle of Montana on his 70th birthday. As all of his gray-haired and gray bearded friends gathered around, he waxed romantically on what a fantastic experience his first major bike trip felt like. “This is the greatest adventure of my life,” he said.

The night before, we treated him to a strawberry milkshake at a local DQ to bring back those memories of high school when guys cruised the DQ in their ‘hot’ muscle cars like 57′ Chevies and 65 Mustangs. Later, we treated him to dinner. We bought him a hat that announced his seven decades. It read, “Old Timer.”

The next day, Gerry bought him a huge watermelon, which he carried on his pack as we made our way across the Great Plains of Montana. Around noon with sweat pouring down our brows from the hot sun, we stopped along the road to slice up the watermelon.

There are epic ways to celebrate your birthday and then there are historic ways to celebrate your 70th year on this planet. Bicycling across an entire continent 4,200 miles might be termed an “Epic Birthday.” Few can do it at such an advanced age. We sang “Happy Birthday to You….”

It’s been said that growing old ain’t no picnic, yet, when you’re living a lifelong dream and you’re riding with some funny if not hilarious friends, the years mean more, feel more and you enjoy them with a certain sense of emotional bliss. You also discover greater appreciation for your health, good fortune and fellowship.

This life races by more quickly than we like. It gathers us in its arms for a wild ride, rough right, and an interesting ride. It truly proves that we make it everything with our minds, hearts and our enthusiasm. Of the 12 Spiritual Laws, the Law of Action carries us into adventures. Don rode with his enthusiasm, his laughter, his determined energy and his joy into that ride across America.

“Life is passing rapidly! Fiercely commit to every moment you find beautiful and live it. Record it. Fully, wholeheartedly inhabit it. Awareness is one of the greatest things you possess in this life as it is as important as the very air we breathe and the water we drink.” Victoria Erickson

Happy Birthday Don! Grab another slice of watermelon!

Your friends on the bicycling highway of life.