“Embrace the suck”.
I went riding with friends in Minneapolis this past weekend. We’ve been trying to schedule this for a couple of years - so this was the weekend; rain or shine. It poured. It started about 12 miles into the route and the rain chances were iffy - a mile south it was dry. So we booked it to a local bar (advertised as the “oldest in Minnesota” … it looked cool). It was literally pouring rain, and so we placed our bikes on the very wet cement patio next to the bar and went in. A hostess cryptically smiled and told us loudly, and in no uncertain terms, that absolutely no bikes were allowed on the patio. Mind you - it was pouring rain and we were just trying to get out of it and have a beer. She basically threw us out into the rain. We went to a very friendly dive bar down the street where we met really nice people. I’m glad it happened.
The place that threw us out “earned” a review from me. It wasn’t nice, but it was honest. I don’t know about the food or the rest of the potential experience, but that was enough to ruin that place forever for me and my friends.
We told a guy we met on another trail about the rainy ride the next day - he told us “every ride is good when you learn to embrace the suck”. That gave me pause … embrace the suck.
When we stop looking at reasons why things are so dreadful and hard, and we start embracing them for the lessons they impart - then we start evolving and maturing. I’m glad we were kicked out. I met some awesome characters and enjoyed a really cool little bar. I’m glad it rained. It was such a fun and memorable time.
I’m not sure I’ll ever be “glad” about this pandemic; but embracing the experience and looking for the lessons helps me deal with it. Good stuff will inevitably happen, and I hope that I will be in the right frame of mind to embrace.
