To Ease the Passing of Time

It must have been in 1988 or 1989. I was still a young man. At that time, in the summer, I used to bike about 40 kilometers from where I used to live to the Champlain Lookout, in the Gatineau Park. Normally, I did that a few times a week. For me, it was a good way to stay fit and to release the stress and anxiety. It was a gruesome uphill ride to get there but coming down was just a breeze. You start by climbing the Pink Lake hill. Here’s a picture of Pink Lake in the fall:

After that, it’s pretty flat for a few kilometers. Then you turn left onto Champlain Parkway, and not long after, you hit the big one: the long and winding uphill to Black Lake. It must have been a week day because it was pretty quiet on the road. I was huffing and puffing halfway through the hill when I felt the presence of someone near me. I turned my head and I saw a guy next to me on his bike. I thought he was going to pass me but he didn’t. He said, “My name is Vincent.” I introduced myself and we talked a little about biking and the type of bikes we had. Then Vincent turned to me and said. “Your eyes look sad.” I didn’t say anything because, first, I was shocked, and I didn’t know what to say. I just looked at him with question marks in my sad eyes.

“Don’t worry! Everything will be all right”, he said. At that time, my life was pretty messed up. Even if I did a lot of biking in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter, I was drinking way too much. I didn’t know where my drinking was going to take me. I must say that it was true that I was feeling sad and that it probably showed in my eyes.

After that, Vincent said, “You know, Pierre, life is like riding a bike in the Gatineau Park. Sometimes you are out of breath like us right now because we are climbing a steep hill. And just like us on our bikes, you’ll soon be on top of the hill and your life will be a lot better.” Shortly after, he turned right to go down towards Lake Fortune. He smiled at me and said, “Believe me!” I never saw him again.

I kept pedaling for not even one more kilometer to Champlain Lookout. I didn’t normally stop when I got there, but that time I stopped just to look at the valley below for a few minutes. I felt peaceful and happy because, somehow, I didn't know why, I knew that Vincent was right.

I was never interested in angels, and I’m not sure if I believe in them, but if they do exist, Vincent was certainly one of them. What made me think of Vincent after so many years is an old song that I was listening to when I was driving alone yesterday, a beautiful song about dreams and angels. That song filled the car because I cranked up the volume to the max, and it also filled my heart with joy because it made me happy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl_FfF53Wec