A human exchange of kindness

I drive far too fast, walk too fast, and now I must also add biking too fast to my repertoire. 

Despite having no agenda to arrive in any given place, there I was wildly riding my bike down a main thoroughfare heavily sprinkled with cafes, coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and boutiques bustling with thriving pedestrian activity and traffic.

I know damn better than to be cycling about faster than a x-15 rocket-powered aircraft on the concrete sidewalk.

Devastatingly, I had a far too close encounter.
It was my unimaginable and assholey catastrophe.

An accident.

A human accident with a perfect stranger.

I paid no attention to the female bar patron who was just moments away from stepping foot outdoors to become victim to my heedless path of reckless abandon.

Furious and rightfully so, she then addressed me with guns-a-blazing, volume on high, roaring with extra steaming hot spoonfuls of blood-curdling, venomous words.

She was right to be angry. I was so incredibly wrong.

I asked if she was okay...

%*#@!%*+@#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I apologized sincerely and profusely...

#%&!!*##@!!!!!

I told her she was absolutely correct. 

I should have been cycling far more slowly and cautiously...

*#!%&%!!!

I asked her again if she was okay.

%*#!

I offered to buy her a beer.

???

I shared a beer with her

?

my poor unfortunate victim then forgave me for my negligent, daredeviley mishap

: ) 

...we shared a laugh

 The kinder I was, the less angry she became.

It was remarkable to witness the process of calming as she slowly transfigured from a raging phoenix to a gentle lamb.

...and i realized that you can not fight fire with fire, the blaze will consume you in a losing battle.

I shall keep my bicycle parts by my bedside to serve as a reminder of how beautiful a day can be when kindness and forgiveness touch it.

Don't ever make the mistake of thinking kindness is a weakness. Sometimes it takes great strength to say kind words. It takes even greater strength to forgive.

...

Thank you for your kind forgiveness and the valuable lesson poor bicycle victim of mine.

A final note to all pedestrians, I owe you all a great big apology for my evel knievel biking stunts. I hope you can all someday forgive me.

Fear not, you are all safe now from the reckless abandon of my stuntwoman biking now.

I hereby promise to bike with great caution from here on out.

Thanks for putting up with me.

x