My precious, beautiful little bike is gone forever. I loved that little white bike. Nikishi with thick mountain bike tires. It was especially dear to me cos not only did it save me from months of misery with my old bike or cos I found such a good deal on it and I was just amazed at how good it was. I loved riding it. It was old but reliable and had a certain flair and character which is code for it was kind of shitty. But now it’s gone.
The funny thing is that I wasn’t even upset. Surprising coming from a guy who is writing a post about it but it’s true. And I have a good reason for it. See, I have been living here for 2 years now, and in that time, several of my friends have gotten their bikes stolen. Especially if you have a good bike, it’s almost a certainty that it’ll be stolen. It’s almost like you have borrowed the bike. It’s not really yours. It’s on borrowed time, and the real owners will take it away any day without telling you. The key to having your bike forever is to have a really shitty bike but then again
Life is too short to have a shitty bike .
So having seen my friends bike stolen, I always knew something like this could happen. I was extra vigilant. But that’s the point. No amount of vigilance and effort on your part can change the inevitable. I just saw that my bike wasn’t there, picked up my lock which was cut and thrown to the side and walked home. The fact that I didn’t let it bother me and that I went about the rest of the day without so much as a sigh was something extraordinary. I’m proud of the way I reacted and pondered a lot about why I wasn’t upset. It could be cos I’m used to things burning down to ashes and everything that can possibly go wrong usually does. Murphy’s law is prevalent in my life. Or it could be that I’m maturing and that my meditation practice and self-control is making me immune to these sorts of trivial inconveniences.
But the whole incident taught me a very important lesson:
Whatever we have or own is all ephemeral.
We obsess about material things. The latest phone, the biggest car, fancy clothes. But none of it lasts. It provides temporary happiness and the illusion of success. It’s just a matter of time before its novelty wears off and the race for the next possession will start.
Whatever we own no matter how ever extra ordinary, will eventually become ordinary.
The best way to live is as if none of the things you own is really yours. It can be taken away at any time, and if and when that happens you shouldn’t lose your sleep over it cos, in the end, it’s all inconsequential. Changing your mindset from “its mine” to “I’m just using it for now,” will liberate you from a lot of stress and drama.
The price for peace of mind is always greater than the price of anything you own.
No amount of vigilance and safety can change the inevitable.
I know that the next few days I’ll be a bit more pissed about my bike especially when I need to get somewhere and I can’t ride there. But it’s ok. The search for the replacement is on.
Kaushal Sadashiv 