Sometimes, Later Could Be Now (457.9 Miles Later, I’ve Finished the Ds!)

2529.5 Miles Total

For those of you who are new to this highly inefficient project of mine, here’s a quick recap: Since September 2023, I’ve been riding my e-bike to every street in Ann Arbor in alphabetical order. When the weather is warm (right now, it is!) I set out from my house and ride to a new street, exploring my city in a structured yet adventurous way. On any given day, I don’t know where I’ll go until I plug the next street into Google Maps. I like to call this “curated randomness.” Both words in that phrase feel appropriate.

As of today, I’ve completed all the streets starting with the letter D, bringing my total mileage to 2529.5 miles. Each time I finish a letter, I write a little reflection on the process and what it feels like to be connected to a sense of place.

As Zelda and I zoomed during this season — that’s my bike’s name — I happened upon so many flowering trees. This was especially true in May. It was a contagion of discovery, as I would turn a corner here or there and suddenly find trees newly in bloom where they had not been just a few days before They kept surprising me.

If I had an instinct to pause or take a photo, followed by a thought of, “I’ll just do it tomorrow,” or “I’ll catch that later this week,” I quickly realized how unlikely that would be. Because only a few days later, that tree would no longer be in bloom. Others would have taken its place, but I would have missed out on *that one.*

And this brings me to the title of this reflection: “Sometimes, later could be now.”

While life continuously changes, how many times do we put off what could be the most important to us?

Calling or visiting a friend…

Playing with the kids without checking the phone…

Getting involved in a community…

Taking action on an important issue…

Booking the vacation…

Saying “Thank you” to the people who need to hear it…

Prioritizing our health…

Taking a step in the direction of a dream…

Saying “I’m sorry” to loved ones who haven’t heard that yet..

Voicing “Yes,” to something outside of our comfort zone…

Snapping photos together…

Learning a new language…

Saying “No” to injustice…

Standing up for ourselves…

Sleeping more…

Eating without interruption…

And…

And…

And…

Whatever it may be for each one of us, truly, later could be now. So what if we act on it? Enjoy it? Choose it?

— Renee Roederer