Today I was looking online at bikes. My sister-in-law has one and she rides with a friend frequently. She enjoys their rides, and they take advantage of the nearby Katy Trail, built on an old railroad track which runs from Machens MO to Clinton MO, covering a large swath of Missouri from east to west. All along the trail you will find bikers and hikers, runners and walkers, and a multitude of beautiful scenery. My sister-in-law and her friend take off on their bikes and frequently ride at least five miles at a time.

I must confess here. I have friends who are avid bikers and some of them ride 20 or more miles at a time. However, If I tried to ride a bike five miles a day, you would need to scrape me up from the pavement, where I would surely be lying after the first grueling mile! That is how out of shape I am.  

But I learned the secret of my sister-in-law’s rides. She had purchased an electric bike, which gives her an assist when the going gets tough. I confess, I had no clue there were electric bikes out there. I had seen electric scooters, and even electric wheelchairs, but I had not seen an electric bike. I was fascinated with this and suddenly, I was seeing electric bikes everywhere. We have a lovely walking trail in my subdivision and this morning I saw one of my neighbors with a new toy–his electric bike. He has been whizzing around the neighborhood daily on his bike!

And I thought to myself, I think I might buy an electric bike. I went to my go to place for anything new—Amazon. The phrase “If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride,” was one repeated often by my mother as one or the other of us would wish for something beyond our meager means while growing up. It took me a while to figure out what she really meant, and I frequently wondered where the phrase originated. I found out that “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride” is a proverb and nursery rhyme, first recorded about 1628 in a collection of Scottish proverbs.

Looking at a new electric bike, I felt like the beggar who didn’t have a horse. The bike, while not outrageously expensive, is not in my budget right now. Two vacations, which were planned during last year and took place this year, and one wedding, that is planned this year, have taken care of any excess funds for me this year. And while I am not truly destitute, I do need to live within my means, especially in this economy.

I have decided when I finish my book and it is finally published, I will splurge by rewarding myself with an electric bike. So that means I really need to sit down and write—because this beggar is going to find herself a horse (or a bike) to ride–eventually!