feeling good

hear it in the stairwell:The Beatles-Revolver

Is it posssible to fall in love with an inanimate object? To feel sweet tenderness towards two pedals, 21 speeds, adjustable handle bars and the comfiest seat ever?
There wasn't much on the ol agenda, except searching for a ridable bike. A few test drives on other so-so bikes led me to the object of my desire. One hour, give or take 30 minutes, later I was on the river front path, heading south and downtown. A long ride down to river scape and a grand tally of 20 miles, give or take a few.
As apporached the fountain, I prepared to pass a runner on his left. I could hear him singing something and I as I rode closer to him I could make out what he was singing. No, make that shouting. In fact he was shouting "feeling good,getting in shape, feeling good, getting in shape." He had the biggest smile on his face and I almost wrecked my bike as I laughed so hard. Yes, my joggin friend, we are all feeling good and getting in shape.

There are only a few things that can make me feel silly in front of other people. Usually I just don't care what others think, but when it comes to eating tofu in front of non-vegetarians I'm asacred and a little embarassed.
"EEEEEEEEWWW, what IS that?" and "GROSS! How do you eat that?" are usually not exclaimed when someone is chowing down on a hamburger or busting into some sausage pizza. However these comments are heard all too frequently when I'm tyring to enjoy a spinach tofu casserole or some stir-fry with the lovely and amazing fermented bean curd.
I'm frankly tired of explaining that it tastes like whatever you cook it with, cuz it doesn't all always taste like whatver you cook it with. And I don't want to describe how tofu is made anymore than you want to desrcibe factory farming and the modern slaughtering practice of whatever is on the end of your fork.
It's tasty, you can make it into anything, and it's a good source of non-animal protein. What's the cure for my shame? I'm not sure, though I may relegate my tofu consumption to home and with my fellow veggies. We'll chow down on some marinated tofu with a huge glass of soy milk in peace.