i've been there, man

i found this clip on the internet and i was trying to craft some verse, both profound and hilarious, to accompany it. but, it pretty much speaks for itself.



well, the ethics of the blogosphere dictate that i just can't post a video i nabbed from another cycling site and call it a day. which isn't to presume that any of this is either profound or hilarious, but it might be worth reading if you're dodging work.

the thing that really gets me about this video is its somewhat nightmarish quality. it's different than those cycling nightmares like "damn! that's a nasty looking crash" or "shit! someone stole my bike" or "fuck! i've shown up to the big race, but i forgot my shoes and i have to borrow some that are too small and use different cleats" or the classic "gee willikers! i've shown up to the big race, but i'm naked except for one knee warmer and a powdered wig". it's one of those recurring dreams that is haunting because we've experienced it before and know it's going to happen to us again. and again.

also (and here's where i put on my wannabe cinematographer's hat (beret, actually)), it works so perfectly as a single shot. one camera. one cut. one subject. if it was a movie (a Hollywood movie, probably not one of those pretentious French films), there would have been like 90 cuts in this sequence: multi-angle shots of the fall, in slow-motion/close-up to Absalon's expression/cut to the lead rider getting away/cut to the trailing riders closing, then passing/flashback to a 3-year old Absalon falling off his tricycle and crying/cut to the Swedish rider patting him on the back/flashback to his mom giving him a band-aid and a baguette with Nutella and helping him back onto his tricycle/cut back to him pushing his bike up the hill/etc. no, this is just one, slow, painful shot. all the context we need is right there. the body says "no". it is simple and final. nothing that chattery brain says can change that.

and still, you're out in the woods. the broom wagon's not coming. no helicopter is going to fly you off the mountain. mom's not going to bring you any Nutella. you get up and push your self home.

keep pushing.