Not so anonymous...

Sunday morning I went for a nice pre-church ride. It was nothing too long, a quick 5.5 miles, but this time I truly went with a purpose: to answer my question. As it turns out, things seemed easier on Saturday because of the slower speed. I pushed myself as I normally would, and found the town to be every bit as I remembered it; not too hard, but still a decent workout.

The best part was that it was a cool (high 70s) Sunday morning. In a sleepy little town like Swainsboro, that meant that I largely had the roads to myself. It is great to be able to ride and not worry about cars, traffic, exhaust, or anything else. All I had was some quiet time with the outdoor air and my thoughts. But, with the way my mind works, that could be a scary thing... as you are about to see...

The best part of the ride was that I got to take a picture that I have wanted for years. Our local Alcoholics Anonymous building is something unique. First of all, they have their own BUILDING! Not a meeting hall, not a room in a church, but an entire structure. What's worse is that they have their own sign out front. This is nothing abnormal about that per se. What is unusual is the size of the sign. It is massive! Below you will see it, and my bike is in the picture for a size comparison.

Now, what this tells me is that they have enough need and business to erect a massive, concrete, permanent sign for this facility. Yet what makes it really interesting is the willingness to have it. You see, a town like Swainsboro is small enough that you can pretty much recognize people by their cars. I did it in high school all the time, and I know many people who still do. My point is that if you are at an AA meeting, people driving by know your car and know why you're there. Hmmm.... not so anonymous now is it?

Fortunately I didn't have to worry about anyone asking my why I was there on a Sunday morning. I figure those who are successful in the program are at home getting ready for church, and those who are not doing so well are at home hungover. Either way, I was free to sightsee all I wanted!

Yes it was a good ride.

Unfortunately, I missed a Monday ride due to yardwork and inclement weather. I need to make up for that later today.