life quotes

I often misread quotes.
I see what I want to see, and only later--usually while doing further research into the quote--do I discover that I've misread it.
example:
this great quote by leigh standley (creator of 'curly girls' cards/gifts) caught my eye:
love imperfectly with great delight.
I added it to my signature line on my emails I liked it so darn much.
it wasn't until years later that I found the real quote to be
live imperfectly with great delight.

I like my version better.

and then this morning I saw an ansel adams quote on the library website. I thought, oh, this is perfect, it captures the essence of life, and I can use it in what I want to say here today:
in wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of explanation.
ah.
yes.
in researching the quote, I found it to actually be this:
in wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.

well, I like my version better.
(yes, the library website stated it correctly; I just saw what I wanted to see.)

I find that my experiences explain much to me.
it's possible they're also explorations.

but on to today's subject:
my experience of the salt lake century, where every year thousands of cyclists flood the road: cyclists who ride fast and well, cyclists who ride slowly and well, cyclists who don't ride much at all, cyclists who have a little to learn about road etiquette, cyclists who are gracious, cyclists in a hurry, cyclists who are grumpy, cyclists who are kind and awesome and generous and funny and just about every other adjective you can think of.
and also on the road are motorists, motorists who come in a hundred different varieties just like cyclists.

my experience during this event explained a great deal about human behavior.
we are all innately egocentric, we are unable to understand (and are often oblivious of) others' perspectives, we are quick to criticize others for things we ourselves do, we jump to judgement, we're not all gifted with the same strengths and abilities, we are desperately impatient, and we can never truly see what we look like from behind (literally) or from outside of ourselves, and possibly most important of all: we are almost all of us beautiful, loving people who simply want to be loved, respected, and be part of something greater than just ourselves.

this was all made clear to me as I passed and was passed by other cyclists, as cars whipped around us on narrow roads, as I heard comments float by and offered some myself, as I sat on the grass at a rest stop and listened to the chatter, as I joked and interacted with friends both old and new.
we all have different journeys in this world, and none of them are races. there are no competitions. there are no prizes for getting to the end first. in fact, I think we're supposed to take our time, be peaceful, play well with others, explore a little along the way, and, oh yes, most importantly of all...
love imperfectly with great delight.