Bikes and Iranians on Capitol Hill

There’s this place in Seattle called Capitol Hill. In sight but not easy reach from SPU, its magnificent houses and distinctly European feel has always intrigued me, but lacking a direct bus route my visits have been few and far between.

But tonight was different. Tonight I had a bike and five friends.

We journeyed up the daunting hill to a beautiful independent movie theatre showing the French film “Persepolis,” a graphic-novel turned movie about growing up in Iran. Beautiful film. Makes you really question the morality behind what leaders the US has chosen to support in the past. Was helping overthrow an autocrat simply to have the country turn into an oppressive theocracy a good idea? Not so sure…

Our attention then turned to finding a coffee shop, which in Seattle isn’t terribly difficult, but finding one to accommodate 6 people on a Friday night is. With some searching we settled on Ladro, the hip Seattleite café known for its orange cups and terrific coffee.

Sitting and talking made me realize how blessed I am here. I have a group of friends who care enough about me to invite me to a movie, and systematically go through their bike-loving friends until they found a bike I could use. I have a group of friends who are much more intelligent than myself, a group that I have a lot to learn from, a group that makes me laugh and reminds me of how being in community lights the fire of joy in my heart.

On the ride home, with the cold wind biting my face, I realized how great it is to be alive , to be in Seattle, to breathe in the crisp winter air, to get off campus, and see the Northwest stars.

But most of all I realized that I need a bike.