Getting a Flat Tire

I hate it when I get a flat tire. It hinders my forward progress, immensely! But, it happens to the best of us and it’s part of owning a vehicle, bike or even a body! Sometimes, you just have to sit on the sidelines and relax until you get the chance to change your tire (or, maybe you are waiting on Roadside Assistance to come out and do it for you). When you think about it though, sitting out for a bit isn’t the worst idea. You can evaluate how far you’ve already come and you can ponder what lies ahead. The thing is, you don’t want to sit out too long, because it might affect your desire to keep going.

I understand this loss of desire better than you’d think. About a year and a half ago, I got a flat and rather than fix the issue and get back on the road, I just languished in the emergency lane and watched others keep driving right by me. Once that happens, the vicious cycle (not the kind of cycle I want to be riding, by the way) just kept dragging me further and further away from my goal. And I was OK with that. I shouldn’t have been, but I was.

Finally, I decided to get out of the emergency lane and fix the flat and get back on the road. I also learned that when you see someone stopped along the side of the road, they may not be ready for you to offer assistance. Until they come to their own decisions to get moving again, there isn’t much you can do, except try to keep them in your rearview mirror and keep an eye on them. One day, they will catch back up with you and you can merge into traffic and be on your way ­– together.

If you get a flat and don’t get right back on the road, it’s OK. Just make a promise to yourself to never give up. If you’ve gone 1 mile or 1000 miles, you’ve already made progress, never lose sight of that important fact.