I felt the urge to do a little more writing on this blog that is mainly unrelated to the subject of touring. My bike, on Saturday, showed itself to have developed a problem of unknown origin that caused a strange feeling of shame in me as I cycled towards Bristol centre that day.
Having investigated the rear of the bike repeatedly, at intervals of roughly twenty feet, I came to the conclusion that whatever the problem was, it was unlikely to be solved by staring at it in frustration at the side of the cycle path.
I had a strange thought that, when combined with my reading of a possible inclusion in my dissertation for this year, The Sadeian Woman, induces a mildly philosophical feeling. Why is it that I seem to anthropomorphize my bicycle to the extent that my feeling of shame, associated with the conspicuous clanking of a seemingly serious fault, is more associated with the feeling that I am somehow broadcasting my misuse of my mode of transport?
I felt, to put it plainly, that I'd been neglectful of a creature I am duty-bound to care for and that the noise it was emitting was simply a cry to others of my mistreatment. When I think about this logically, it seems like a very strange thing to feel!
Anyway, having also been watching David Starkey's Monarchy, Episode 2, I'm feeling strangely eloquent. I best, for that reason only, retreat into my reading again before somebody gets the impression I'm well-read or something similar.
ps. I'd very much like to know how to change the time on blogger. It's 6:40pm.
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