ONE OF THE GREAT BENEFITS of cycling alone, for me at least, is the space and time it offers for thinking and reflecting, pondering, contemplating, musing.  And so it was today, as I tooled around the local suburban landscape on errands mundane yet enjoyable.  My thoughts revolved around contemplation of what good fortune has been my lot in life, and how that contrasts with what so many others endure with little or no choice in the matter.

Through simple blind luck I was born a white male in America.  That makes me a member of a class of people who have historically enjoyed more advantages than most, and who have basically rigged the system to guarantee that those advantages and privileges continue in perpetuity.  Although I do not feel as though I've had an active hand in said rigging, there's no denying that I have been a beneficiary.

Also through luck, I was born to very loving, caring, and skilled parents.  They fed and clothed me, saw to my needs and education, and indulged me while at the same time making it clear that neither I nor anyone else is "entitled" to a life of ease and luxury.

I have a loving and supportive wife, who (mostly) tolerates my eccentricities and encourages me to follow my own path.  She also keeps me (mostly) on the straight-and-narrow without overtly controlling me.

My house is paid for, in no small measure thanks to an incredibly generous friend.  Our cars are also paid for, and we have no significant long-term debt to worry about.  We have means sufficient to be able to enjoy whims both reasonable and, to some extent, unreasonable.  This is tremendous good fortune indeed.

My health is good; what ills there are can be addressed mostly through increased activity levels and a better diet.  Both of these factors are firmly within my own sphere to control.  Issues that require medical attention are covered by a vast nearby network of skilled physicians and other medical specialists; our health insurance covers nearly all of the expense.

When working, I had the good fortune to have a succession of caring and supportive managers, and to be surrounded by groups of smart, responsive, and enthusiastic colleagues- many of whom I've stayed in contact with as friends even as our career paths diverged.  And the work itself was challenging, reasonably interesting (to me), and gratifying.

One can never have too many friends, and I am fortunate indeed to have a large number of them.  I'm grateful to be associated with them, and hope the relationships continue for years to come.

The weather in this region is typically congenial for much of the year, enabling me to indulge my various outdoor hobbies throughout the year.

The area in which I reside is generally prosperous and diverse.  Within an easy ride from my home are, among other perks, two major outdoor gear retailers as well as innumerable other outlets for every doo-dad and gee-gaw I may ever conceivably want.  (I do not say "need", in recognition of the fact that I do not "need" any of what they have for sale if the only objective is to sustain life and prolong my existence.)

Within a few more miles of home I have access to a vast area of relatively rural land, perfect for cycling.  Should I wish I can ride out there, or I can be lazy and drive.  The supply of good cycling country expands even further if I care to make an easy drive of an hour or so, in nearly any direction.  The roads are in good condition and not heavily trafficked; bucolic country lanes are the general rule.

In his journal "Death, Life, & the Rural American Gas Station" Jeff Arnim very eloquently describes the conditions under which people far less fortunate than I are born, live (if what they endure on a daily basis can really be called "living" and not merely "existing"), and struggle for the most basic aspects of life.  It was a very sobering read and served as a catalyst for my thoughts today.  How very different my life is, from theirs.  And how good to be reminded of that from time to time, so that one can reflect and be properly humble.

So, at the closing of the year, I ruminate on all the good in my life and wish the same for all of you.