Asking and receiving INSPO

Two days after the election, exhaustion in my spirit, I sat down on an uncharacteristically warm morning for coffee with a spoker (member of the Circle and Spoke community).

In her words, she needed some “INSPO.”

It felt like a grande order for my weary spirit. 

We schmoozed commiserated and listened to each other and then we headed separate ways. My spirit felt a bit lighter, but I didn’t feel I gave her that dose of “INSPO” she was seeking. 

But in the midst of the goodbye, she said, “See you at bike party.” At which point, my eyes widened and I realized, gosh, I haven’t gone to bike party in months.  

You might be asking: What is “Bike Party"? 

In DC, that’s lingo for DC Bike Party, a monthly evening critical mass ride, where we literally take over the streets on a set route and ride together, usually a few hundred people and enjoy biking and community. 

I was introduced to critical mass rides, nearly a decade ago, when I was living in Bogota, Colombia. While biking at night is something my family taught me to fear, I’ve grown as an adult to enjoy night rides, with full reflective gear and lights, in large part because of these critical mass rides at night where I enjoy safety in numbers and rad community. 

Inspired by the spoker’s words, I showed up to Bike Party this past week, bundled up in the crisp DC night air and found myself dancing in the saddle, even as we biked past the White House and down Constitution Avenue toward the Capitol.

Together, riding and held in rad community, I felt a sense of safety and joy that gave me some comfort and a huge dose of INSPO. 

I woke up the next morning and tackled a task that had long been sitting on my to-do list and I felt a sense of hope, reminded that together we can bring one another safety and joy, when we put the pedal to the metal around a shared desire. 

I loved that in someone asking me for INSPO, they in fact drew me closer to that value.

May this week you have the opportunity to lift others up and inspire others. 

Wheels up, 

Ellen