Books, Brakes, and Riding the Trails of Life

What do you do in your uncertain moments? How do you react? How do you feel?

Many of the singletrack trails around Bend ride “loose over hard,” where layers of ancient volcanic grit blanket an eons-old underbelly of hardpack earth.

If you’re a mountain biker, you know “loose over hard” means traction is going to be your reluctant dance partner every time you ride.

The trail looks like it should hold you just fine, but grip a little too tightly on those handlebars or push a bit too hard on those pedals and that which appeared solid shows you it is anything but.

Tires slip as you accelerate or brake with too much force, slide as you press too aggressively in and out of corners, and wash out into a jumbled mess if you oversteer.

Think hydroplaning on dirt and you’re getting the idea.

Life, like biking, comes with a lot of loose over hard moments, doesn’t it; times where it feels difficult to get traction, where we hold too tightly or push too hard only to find ourselves slipping, sliding, washing out.

The trick of riding loose over hard is to prepare for uncertainty: stay centered and balanced on the bike, brake mindfully, expect the slides.

And maybe most relevant to life: in those uncertain patches, try to hold everything as loosely as possible.

How can you practice these skills the next time life throws something unexpected at you?

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I was honored to create this trio of mobiles for the Reading Room at Aldea at Glisan Landing, a partnership here in Portland between Related Northwest and Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) to develop 96 units of family-focused affordable housing units for BIPOC, immigrant and refugee households, and intergenerational families.

I imagine many of these folks experiencing those loose over hard moments getting the support needed to find balance – given the space needed to mindfully reset expectations and get the traction needed to thrive.