Have you ever considered how a minor shift in the emphasis on words in a sentence changes the meaning of the sentence? You may well consider such an exercise a little too pedantic – teacher like – for your taste, but my reason for even mentioning it, I hope, will become clear.

Let’s look at the well known and over used sentence, “Life is good,” as an example. I use this sentence as an example because it’s one that I take to heart. One of my favorite caps has this logo stitched on it.

Let’s first place emphasis on the word “life.” “Life is good” has a different meaning than does “Life is good.” While this isn’t a huge shift in meaning, it does tell us something about your focus.

“Life is good” signifies that the mere presence of life is good, that just living is somehow adequate and that the alternative should be avoided. I can’t argue with that view. Then I place emphasis on “good” and things change.

“Life is good” breaks out of life as good in itself and wanders over into the playground of life as meaningful. In other words, things change. “Life is good” goes beyond the presence of life and breezes into the quality of life. When I wear my cap, emphasis is placed on “good.”

“Bicycles, Dave, where are the bicycles?”

Have patience and you’ll see the connection between this exercise in English usage and bicycles.

While I seriously value the presence of life, I value even more how good life can be if given half a chance and some effort. And, for me, life is made better by bicycling.

“Life is good,” and bicycling makes it better, therefore “Bicycling is good.” (That should please all you philosophy professors out there.) For one thing, bicycling has the potential of helping to prolong life, thus getting back to emphasis on life.

But, assuming that you haven’t been abused by a truck or Metro bus, a long life has its advantages. That longer life can be a good life when you are healthier because you’ve been getting around on your bicycle. See, “Life is good.” Better health is a plus, a big plus. But there’s more than the physical well being that bicycling fosters. There are psychological and social components as well.

We bicyclist can take a certain smug pleasure in knowing that we don’t contribute to global warming unless we factor in some of the manufacturing sins that go into the production of our bikes and their components. We tend not to damage the roads on which we ride. We don’t ask for much in the way of space for either riding or parking. And we don’t make much noise.  Most dogs even like us.

We also know that we really do smell the roses while en route to where ever, even if the roses may smell of a dairy farm in Carnation Valley (Actually, I have no complaints about the dairy farms in any valley). How about that social component? It’s pretty much accepted as fact that people who stay engaged with their fellow humans live better and healthier lives. A good dog or cat is said to give the same positive result.

Although bicycling is best done with one person on the bike, except for those who ride tandems, it is best done in groups of two or more. Why do you think Lance Armstrong returned to pro-racing? He likes the camaraderie, of course. When you’ve been a pro bike racer from your teens into your late thirties, you don’t just walk away without leaving a big hole in who you are. For Lance, life was good in the pro-tour circuit. That’s why he returned, believe me.

There are more than 8,000 members of the Cascade Bike Club, the biggest bicycle club in the U.S. I recently rode with 32 of them from Southworth to Gig Harbor and back in a circular route of about 60 miles. We stopped for lunch in Gig Harbor and tried our best not to clog the streets.

There were riders of varying abilities, all pretty good, some downright outstanding. No matter how good or pretty good we were as individuals on the bike, we all formed a social group with a common interest that brought us together. That leads to other commonalities and interests, and on and on. During the time we were on the bike, “Life was good.” And it continues to be good long after climbing off the bike.

While leading the good life, ride safely.