Just a simple bike ride

I just got back from a bike ride. It was nice. My lovely sister bought me a beautiful bike for Christmas. Yes she is awesome. I have already fallen in love with my bike. I rode around my neighborhood and past places I've known since I was a child. The grocery store I used to go to with my mother and sister. The store where my aunt works her second job. The spot where the old Movie theatre used to be but has recently been converted into two separate stores. It's funny that the theatre actually lasted as long as it did in that spot. Its not really a neighborhood per se. At least not what I would define as a traditional neighborhood but I suppose it is the norm in Florida. The theatre only had two screens if I do recall correctly. One on the right and one on the left with the concession stand in the center. I loved that place. I miss it a lot. It was nice to go a few blocks over and see a movie. That's the place were I saw The Lion King and fell in love with it. It became my favorite movie for years. I was pretty obsessed with it. I saw Sixth Sense there with my mom and sister. And tons of other movies that I was too young to remember. It was a family spot. It has a special place in my heart. There are a lot of places that are dear to me. Places were I can drive past and practically feel the memories play out in front of me as if they only happened yesterday though they did not. The park where I fed ducks with my oldest brother when I was four. Where I had lunch with my mom and sister when I was older. Where all of us kids played and caused trouble. The gas station down the road where we would stop to buy candy on the walk home. The pizza place where my family would go to eat about once a week or so. The McDonald's where we would have lunch after a day of errands. Where we were spoiled with ice cream even though we didn't have much money. The Dairy Queen that I can literally picture my mother sitting in the back booth that is no longer there. The Middle school where one of my most embarrassing public humiliation stories happened. Where one of the "toughest, meanest" teachers warmed her heart to me. Subtly, but I knew I proved something to her that she wasn't expecting. The houses my family used to share. The store we bought our dinning room table that is currently behind me. Where I recently revisited to buy my bookshelf. There are places and people that warm our hearts and spark our memories. Places where we learned more about ourselves. Places we spent treasured time with loved ones. Places that make us feel better and hurt us at the same time. Crazy that this blog is a result of a bike ride around a place I know. I just got to see it in a different way, taking time to think them over.