The Corrections*

*Disclaimer: this post isn't really about bikes, or the Jonathan Franzen novel.

After cursing at my rear dérailleur for weeks, I finally fixed it yesterday. I went to Sheldon Brown's site, read a few paragraphs about index shifting, and turned my adjusting barrel one click clockwise. Now the bike shifts perfectly. I wonder why I waited so long to do something about it. All of my recent drivetrain woes could have been avoided by making this simple adjustment two months ago!

How many things in our lives are going awry, and yet for some reason or another, we don't do anything about it? How many of our ongoing problems could be solved with a simple fix, if only we would take the time to do something about it, instead of just complaining about it?

I think of friendships that slipped away because I didn't make a phone call or write a letter -- jobs I hate but stay in because I am too lazy to apply for a new one -- opportunities lost because I procrastinated and missed a deadline -- what's the deal? Is it just me or is this another human condition thing? I resolve from here on out to increase my awareness of easy solutions to my "difficult" problems and do what I can right now to improve my life.

Categories: life, bicycles