Wheeling for Jesus?

Well I never really expected this.

I recently bought something called an Electric Unicycle, and it's the coolest thing I've ever had. Basically, it is a wheel with a plastic housing around it with an electric motor and a gyroscope. You stand on the pedals and lean forward to go and backward to stop and reverse. After a couple of hours of practice and bruised ankles and calves, it is tons of fun. I bought it as a commuter to work and back when I don't have to drive the boys anywhere. My V10 Excursion isn't exactly what they call "efficient" with gas, so I wanted something that would be better. I had a gas scooter that was great, but rarely rode it due to being on kid transportation duty many days. So I sold the moped and bought my Airwheel X8. This way, even when I have to take the kids to school in the morning, I can bring the Airwheel and zip home and back for lunch.

My EUC (electric unicycle) can go about 13mph and will go for about an hour of solid riding time or around 15 miles on a charge. So it takes a few more minutes to get somewhere than driving, but it's way faster than walking.

What I didn't expect is the extra commute time from being stopped by people on the street. In fact, if you are interested in getting to know people or are in ministry, this may be the best tool you could have. I can't wheel anywhere without people staring, stopping, and talking to me about it. I've had cars pull over to ask what I'm on, people come out of their houses to catch me and talk, and even one guy yelling from his truck, "Are you from the future?"

I love it. If you don't like people or attention, this may not be for you. But for me, this is so much fun. I've gotten to meet people I never would have otherwise and talk with them about all sorts of things beyond the wheel. I've spent a half hour getting to know new neighbors across the street after they asked me what I was riding. I got to meet a family on their front porch who may have no church or faith connection. But now, I can say hello and call them by name when I run into them again. And maybe God will use that.

I think the most important thing is this; being unique forces me to pay attention to the opportunities to love and share with people I meet in a way I just haven't when I'm not standing out. I allow myself to ignore people when I'm walking or driving because relationships are not forced upon me.

So I'll try to take advantage of the attention I'm getting and try to use it for God's glory. And maybe, we can all do the same even when the opportunities aren't quite so obvious.

And... if you like people, go get an EUC.