Being a loner has advantages.

Most mornings, at 8:30, I see bikers in full biking regalia congregating at a piazza in Carbonia. And as much as I like biking, I'm not about to join 'em. Because when I go biking, I like to go alone. Not with a bicycling club. Because I want to move at my own pace. Same when I go walking or running. I prefer to do it alone. Because when I go with others, invariably the pace is too fast or too slow. It doesn't suit me. I exercise for pleasure. That's why I never enter races. Once upon a time, I could have run marathons. But that would have taken away the pleasure of running. I want to relax. To not tell myself I have to speed up to catch the guy in front of me. Or to be ashamed that I might finish last. Of course, when I go walking with my true love, I acquiesce. I go at her speed. I'm very accommodating. But she's the only one for which I make such an adjustment. She's special. But even then, she might occasionally complain. That I'm going too slow or too fast. That's my point. Being a loner has advantages. --Jim Broede