Since the transmission in my van went out back in April, my main transportation has been my feet and bicycle. 36 years of smoking took their toll on my lungs and I get winded very quickly, so most of my riding is done with me puffing like a locomotive.

Several days ago I was riding down my street on the way home from my carpool's house. There were a couple of guys on bikes ahead of me going a bit slower than I was. One looked to be mid to late 20s and the other was 13 or so. They had the whole lane and this street has very little traffic, so I passed them in the left lane. They heard me coming up, looked back and the older one said something in mock surprise about being passed. As I went by, I hollered back to them, "You just got passed by a 60-year-old f@#t with COPD!" Everyone had a laugh and he said, "Don't tell anyone." With that, I notched it up to a higher gear and moved away faster.

But I decided I was proud of that and I will tell everyone I can.