Moving Forward But Still Looking Back

Is there anything more depressing than retreading old ground?

This analogy was thrust into my face this morning when my (not actually mine) expensive motorbike lock fell off my pannier on the ride to work. I noticed a mile from my destination - having covered four. A quick bit of mental arithmatic, weighing the cost of the bike lock over the effort of turning back, the look on the face of my friend when i told him it was missing over the possibility of me not finding it and cycling another possible eight miles.

And slowly turned back and coasted down the gentle slope to the sounds of Heart Skipped A Beat by The xx. My mentality immmediately changed. Instead of pedalling furiously with my head down, I relaxed. I was late anyway - so may as well enjoy it.

A happy mile later, i rounded a bend to see the lock, coiled and glinting like a snake. Lesson learned: take care of other people's shit. Don't carry my bike lock slung casually over my pannier. Pay attention! Riding onwards to work I felt stronger, happier and a bit smugger.

But the analogy stands: taking backward steps feels futile, but maybe you have to retread worn ground to learn new lessons - or absorb old ones.