The New Kid

cadent_1_small.jpgEver felt like the new kid at school? I did on Saturday morning.

I have to admit that I was fortunate enough to grow up in the one home for the first 16 years of my life. That meant that I went to only one primary school and only one high school. I never had to be the new kid at school. Obviously starting school as a 5 year old and then moving on to high school at the age of 14 were both monumental moments but I was never the kid who turned up in the middle of the school year having to get to know a whole new bunch of kids and a whole new system.

On Saturday I had to find a new group of cyclists to join for a Saturday morning ride. There was all the apprehension of, “What if I can’t ride at the same pace? What if I don’t fit in?” I was the new kid but I need not have worried.

I turned up and stopped near a friendly looking guy. We got chatting, exchanged first names and then he asked me where I work. I told him that I work in radio at Sonshine FM and he said, “So you’re Rodney Olsen. I thought I recognised your voice.” We talked a little more about the impending ride and then it was time to form into a group.

The riders usually split into three groups but with the rainy conditions they were down on numbers so we stayed as one group. Given the choice I would have joined the ‘B’ group and they said that we were going to ride at a ‘B’ group pace. Suited me.

I found the ride a little bit of a stretch in a couple of places, which I liked, but most of the time I was quite comfortable. By the time we got back to the shop I felt great but a few of the other riders were feeling a bit smashed. Apparently they felt that the group was riding more at the ‘A’ pace than ‘B’.

One of the main things I miss about our old home is the group of guys that I used to cycle with each Saturday morning. Some of us have been riding together for many years so it was tough to say goodbye and know that I won’t get that regular Saturday morning company again. While the new group isn’t quite the same I’m sure I’ll form some new friendships. I’m already looking forward to the next ride.



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About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He previously worked in radio for about 25 years but these days he spends his time at Compassion Australia, working towards releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name.

The views he expresses here are his own.

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