Self Help Zwift-Cycling

Terrific

As you may have guessed by now if you have spent any time reading my articles, I have been an avid cyclist for many years.  I have met a lot of people going on group rides.  The best group rides include a lot of social time, chatting with the person you are riding next to. 

All kinds of topics get discussed; health, nutrition, family and yes even politics, religion and global warming.  One thing that is rarely discussed is personal relationships.  There seems to be something almost sacred about that, not talking about the husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend or any significant other.

There is one particular conversation I had with a woman I was riding with a number of years back that has always stuck in my mind.  She was talking about a trip she and her long-time boyfriend had just gotten back from.  At some point she referred to him as “my terrific boyfriend, John” (name changed to protect the guilty).  

That has always stuck with me over the years, her referring to boyfriend as “my terrific boyfriend, John”.  I just can’t think of a higher compliment than that.  I have often wondered how I would feel if I had a romantic interest that would refer to me in that way.  I can honestly say that I have aspired to be that person that would be referred to as “terrific”.

But the real point of this story is that it is not so important what we say about ourselves but what other people say about us.  If I say that I am kind or nice or good it does not carry nearly the weight as someone else saying it about me.  In the John example above, it wouldn’t mean nearly as much if John told me he was a terrific boyfriend.  The fact that SHE told me he was terrific is what has had such a big impression on me. 

It was such a nice thing she said about him.  I have hoped all these years and continue to hope that someday, one day I will so impress a romantic interest that she will refer to me as “terrific”.  I think that is a good thing to aspire to.