Ohhhhh...another Cirque done gone.
Just substituting some words to a song I was listening to on the way home. Like Larry O, I make sure I have lots of esoteric tunes stuffed into the many disc cartridges floating around the forward cabin of the Black Market Shuttle. Something to while away the hours and fight off post-Cirque fatigue and decompression during the long drive home. Also like Larry O, I found it interesting that no one can seem to remember just how many of these gatherings have actually taken place. Even Dale. I missed the swap-in-parking-lot, but haven't missed one since, and I think it's six for me. And I can't foresee missing any without a DARN GOOD REASON! Hard to imagine what life was like before, when we were all wandering aimlessly in the dense gasses, wondering if there were really other creatures like us out there somewhere.
And then..... rising from the primeval ooze.......there was......THE CIRQUE.
And so it is today.
I think the best part is that Dale has managed to keep it fresh, different and evolving. And now that evolution is being facilitated by other movers and shakers, adding new and exciting elements to keep us all enthralled (and sleep deprived). I mean, as if the awards and the auction weren't enough by themselves, we had to go back to the hotel and talk about it all for another couple hours. As with the nights before, everyone tries to wring every possible nugget out of the time we have, so the conversations and discussions run into the wee hours. It's only after people become incoherent and start drooling that we finally surrender and shuffle of to our rooms.
It's good to get a few hours sleep so we can ride the next day. I really love the rides, but I'm definitely going to need a bigger gear on my fixie if I'm going to keep up with THOSE guys. Gotta get a map too. With so many people on the rides, it's bound to splinter a bit. And if you blow a cue, you're hopelessly off course and have to ask the natives to point in the general direction of Cycles de Oro..."uh, what's that?".
I forced myself to part with a couple really cool bikes this trip. It's kind of liberating to let them go, in a way, and I like doing it this way. I like the personal transaction, and knowing that the objects I've been privileged to have relationships with are going on to others who will enjoy them in a similar way. It's so much more humane than eBay! Of, course, before seller's remorse could set in, I had managed to acquire (or commit to) more equally cool bikes to play with in the future. It's sort of my own evolution.
All I can really say about the experience of the Cirque is "THANKS". Thanks, of course, to Dale, our benevolent ruler, for being the guiding light. Thanks to the many others who give of their time and energy to assist with making it all happen. Thanks to those individuals who have taken the initiative to add even more facets to this gem. And thanks to all my like-minded friends for the sharing of information, good vibes, and fun. This "happening" is something that I not only look forward to, but seems to have become an integral part of my life. Hmmm...how did I manage to get along for so long without all these loony friends?
Monday morning.....coming down.
Wayne Bingham
Falls Church VA