Sixties Chick

It recently came to my attention that I may have missed one of the most attention-grabbing events to come down the pike this year. And that’s saying a lot!

I blame PECO whose illuminated signage I rely on for the latest goings-on around town.

Why didn’t news of Philadelphia’s NAKED BIKE RIDE make it onto its four-story, revolving ticker-tape? I can’t imagine. And I can’t believe I missed it!

Just over a month ago, about a thousand naked and semi-naked cyclists were probably pedaling past my very apartment.  It was my cousin who broke the news to me. She recounted seeing them, a brigade of butts on bikes, rounding the corner of 19^th and Walnut for a pass around Rittenhouse Square.

Apparently, there were young ones and old ones, and just about every body type you could imagine. There were those young nubile millennials with their hot yoga bodies    cruising  past but there were lots of others too. Brave souls of  a “certain” age, fearlessly showing off their sagging, bulging,  bespeckled bodies.

Bodies that have seen better days, if you get the picture.

There were those buck naked, others with bits of cover-up here and there in strategic places. There were those donning body art, sequins, feathers or only a hat. Some with messages painted fore and aft.

A virtual ‘Burning Man’ breezing by the august Union League!

One guy, a dead-ringer for a Sumo wrestler, had inscribed in large letters over the length and breadth of his great pendulous pouch of a stomach, “LOVE YOURSELF.”

Now that was a man on a mission. Right on, Bro! If riding a bike stark-naked down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a possible path to self-love, I say “Go for it!” And, from what I could glean from photos, this group — if not fully loving themselves – who knows? —  sure seemed plenty at peace with their bodies.  Clearly, they were having a grand old time to boot!

Will I be participating next year? Probably not, although I’ll definitely  be there to cheer them on. There’s just something about a bare tush on a hard pointy seat that doesn’t seem all that inviting.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to work on loving myself… whatever I’m doing, clothed or unclothed!

This entry was posted on October 15, 2016 at 2:19 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.