Ever get the feeling the Universe is telling you something? In my case, that not-so-subtle message was delivered—the way it so often happens to me on my bike—by a dog.
First, a bit of background. I’ve had three animals cause crashes while I was riding. The first was a cat, a couple of decades ago. The second was a dog, almost three years ago. The last, most serious time, was when a German Shepherd bolted out from a yard and under my wheels on Dec. 1, 2021. That one resulted in a fractured wrist, surgery, and permanent hardware in my hand.
Three accidents on my bike, all caused by animals. Two of them dogs.
The healing and recovery from the surgery took a long time (and my hand and wrist will never be the same.) I couldn’t get on my bike for nearly six months.
Slip Slidin’ Away
Now the scene is set. On my second ride since the surgery, I was climbing a hill a couple of miles from my house. Near the top, I nearly crashed again when a dog crossed my path. It didn’t run under my tires, which is the preferred way animals deal with me.
Instead, the dog sort of skidded and slid past me. It came from behind me, to my left, and ended up ahead of me, to my right, on the shoulder. The thing is, the dog was not running. It was as if it was launched at me or perhaps kicked by a giant that propelled it forward.
I didn’t know what had happened. But just after I stopped, a car passed me, going slowly. It went up the road 50 feet or so, pulled over, and stopped. The driver got out and looked confused. I’m sure I looked the same. (The dog, which appeared unharmed, just stood there looking at me).
I was still trying to figure out what had happened, but the appearance of the car gave me a clue. Still shaken up, I looked at the dog and the car, and asked the driver:
“Did your dog jump out of the car at me?”
The driver paused a moment, then slowly nodded his head. “Yeah.” His expression was as disbelieving as mine.
The Definition of ‘Nonplussed’
I didn’t know what to say next. What do you say in a situation like that?
That was the end of the conversation. The guy collected his dog, which climbed quietly back into the car. He started it up, this time rolling up the windows, and drove off. I got back on my bike and kept riding.
So it appears that animals are no longer content just chasing me, zipping under my tires to bring me down. They’ve upped their game and developed new strategies. Now they’re jumping out of moving vehicles to get to me.
The Conspiracy Is Real
Since this happened a few days after I started riding again after the previous accident, I can’t believe it was just coincidence. They are out to get me.
Do I sound paranoid? Well, then you come up with a better explanation. Bet you can’t.
And the cherry on top of this Dog Conspiracy cake? The flying dog in question was a German Shepherd. Yup—the same breed that caused the big crash.
All this raises the question I asked at the beginning: is it the Universe, taking the shape of a dog, telling me to stop riding? I mean, if dogs are jumping out of car windows to maul me, that’s an easy conclusion to draw.
On the other hand… Oh, the heck with that. There is no other hand. That is the message.
My response is that the Universe is going to have to work harder than that to get me off my bike.
I can’t wait to see what the Universe has planned next.