After closely monitoring radar while a line of storms moved through the area, I spy my opening and begin preparations to head out for a spin on the two-wheeler before additional storms manifest. The sky is overcast with bands of dark clouds off to the east and the hint of the possibility of blue sky poking through in the west. Last week’s sweltering temperatures have moderated although the air is still thick with humidity. Sweat begins to trickle down my brow as I pump air in the tires prior to stepping in the pedals to begin my journey.
A smattering of raindrops greet me as I randomly head north with a vague idea of what route I will follow. It’s been more than a week since my last excursion and I’m thinking I’ll keep the distance under twenty miles with a couple of relatively easy hill climbs thrown in for good measure. A noticeable breeze provides some resistance and rapidly evaporates the few raindrops that manage to land on my arms, face and legs. I feel good.
10.5 miles into the ride and I suddenly recall I am passing the location (Goodenough Ave ironically) where a man, on a quiet Sunday morning in August five years ago, shot his girlfriend several times (she survived), then ran across the street and shot/killed five people before chasing down and killing two more (including an eleven-year-old boy). Hannah Arendt’s phrase “the banality of evil” ricochets around my brain for a moment and other terms/phrases flitter by in quick succession: guns, mass shootings, quotidian, commonplace, mundane, normative. I turn to other thoughts.
I see dark clouds to the south and southwest. Looks like more rain may be on the way. I start making my way back home. I pass fields of corn and a farmhouse with a yard full of swans, geese and chickens. A couple more miles and I’ll be back within the city limits of Akron. As I turn into the driveway, I glance at my trip odometer and see I’ve hit the 15-mile mark. “Not bad,” I muse as I see a dog wagging her tail in eager anticipation I will soon be showering her with love and affection.
Life is good.