Bloody Brilliant, I say

I work at a bike shop. During a typical workday, I sell bicycles, buy bicycles, promote bicycles, build bicycles, repair bicycles, destroy bicycles, display bicycles, talk about bicycles, read about bicycles, check my email, think about bicycles, look at bicycles, test ride bicycles, hang bicycles, organize bicycles, knock over bicycles, curse bicycles, weigh bicycles, fit bicycles, and search for my missing allen wrench set that somebody borrowed and didn’t return. I sincerely like my job and I’m good at it, and I have finally accepted the fact that the bike shop is where I belong, and chances are I’ll never completely break away from the damn place.

That notion used to be unsettling for me, but I’ve since shifted my perspective about work as it relates to life and happiness. These days I’m perfectly content doing what I do for the rest of my working life because I know that what I do is good. Bicycles are good. Helping people ride bicycles is good. The customers are good (minus a few exceptions). My coworkers are good (you know…sure…yeah…mostly). Even the pay is good (versus pretty good or marginally good). Honestly, what more is there?

But now I’m faced with a dilemma. Having been living and working in Montpelier for the past seven and a half years, I will soon be moving forty miles away to Burlington so that my fiancée and I can be closer to UVM where she is going to medical school. The idea of commuting by car, considering the price of gasoline, the carbon footprint thingy, the wear and tear on the old Subaru, and the time penalty is utterly fearsome. Commuting by bus is more eco-responsible, but with a greater time penalty combined with the likelihood of being stuck next to someone who wants to speak with you, is equally frightening. As for working in the Burlington area, there are plenty of bike shops, but working for one of them would be crossing the lines, switching teams, sleeping with the enemy, treason. I would be like the Johnny Damon of the bike shop world. I don’t want to walk into ORS someday and get booed.

So here’s my idea: Onion River Sports should simply open a shop that I could run in the Burlington area. Chittenden County needs an Onion River Sports and Onion River Sports needs me. It’s bloody brilliant. The scores of people who drive from the greater Burlington area for the service that only we provide would be elated, the scores of people who settle for mediocre service in the greater Burlington area would be overjoyed, and best of all, my personal dilemma would be resolved!

Now, the guy that could make this happen, as you might imagine, has a few reservations. He also has more on his plate than a starving horse logger at a bean supper, so he needs lots and lots of encouragement from folks other than me. If you happen to run into him, please let him know that you have endorsed my proposal and maybe, just maybe, ORS Burlington will become a reality. And maybe, just maybe, the pay will be pretty good.