Just a few days ago, a man walked by with some coworkers and mentioned that our Bullitt was a "cute little toy" while I was trying to buckle a squirming and overly exhausted Little Brother into his seat. Next he walked right up to us and asked me what was wrong with my kid. Through gritted teeth, I forced out a smile and said "he's just tired." Without getting the hint, this guy launches into a monologue about how the "wheat in this country is not like the wheat in the rest of the world" and how I "must read an amazing book called Wheat Belly because..." I stopped him right there, looked into his eyes and told him "I'm not interested." He actually stopped talking and I repeated that I wasn't interested in what he was saying.
An unexpected benefit of riding our bikes around town with our kids is that I just don't care what other people think about us anymore. I know that we're doing right by our children by providing them the foundation of an active, eco-friendly, low-impact, and most importantly, fun life. They get to experience the world going by at a slow pace with open senses. My skin might be a little thicker but I'm also so much stronger, emotionally and physically. I always tell people that biking keeps me sane in this crazy world. Thank goodness I'm on my bike just about every day.