The Unicyclist

As I walked up the middle of the stair case leading to my residence hall, swaying and working to keep my balance in the dark, I looked towards the field to my left and saw a man riding on an enormous unicycle with a smaller unicycle in his hands.

I then ran up the stairs and then across the field to greet him, “unicycles huh?” The man laughed as he pulled up to his residence hall and dismounted, “yeah, would you like to try?” To which I responded, “sure.”

He lead me to his room explaining that it is easiest to learn how to begin by using the door frame as for balance as you mount the cycle. It was then that I decided to introduce myself and ask the man if he would be interested in talking to me about himself for the present writing project to which he accepted, unsurprisingly curious as to where a conversation about himself would go. He introduced himself as Gunthery, another student of Pacific University.

“So when did you get into unicycles,” I asked while pulling myself up his door with one unsteady hand after another to find myself in a balanced position on his cycle. He told me that he saw one in a store one he was around nine years old and the unusualness of it appealed to him.

We both talked at length on how people seem to get wrapped up in a routine of working, eating, walking and crumbling into their couches to turn on the tube. Always ruminating as they stare down through their feet and the stone beneath it, “never taking the time to look up and gaze through the glimmering tree branches above them.”

Gunthery said that this was one of the reasons unicycling appealed to him. It was one thing he could do to go beyond the routine. It was something that brought him outside to look at and enjoy the world and gave him opportunities for new experiences. Thus, he always tries to set aside a little time to roll outside and do something more meaningful or adventurous.

Also he rides to put forth an example. Showing everyone something new, a fun activity which could bring people out of their hovels and live a little on their off time. “Plus it’s a really fun way to get around,” he said, watching me as I began to continuously balance myself on the unicycle for a few seconds before my hands darted back to the rock solid doorway.

“Oh course,” he started “I’m a bit hypocritical. I mean I spend time watching tv and anime and stuff” “Aren’t we all?” I responded. He complimented me for my ability to balance in such a short amount of time and suggested I try to ride down the hallway but I figured it would be best to save that for another time.

After talking about some of the anime we liked and showing each other our DVD collections, we went our separate ways and I sat down to work on my essay. Now as I work on it, I find myself wondering if I have any time to visit and practice on the unicycle after my choir rehearsal is over.