EBOOK
About
An entire life compressed into a single hour.
For seven years, public servant Anthony Speed has commuted by bicycle to his inner-city office dreading the monotony and drudgery of his job. On an otherwise routine Monday morning, he sets out to do this one last time.
The ride forward to his destination coincides with a journey back through his past, as the people and places he crosses paths with draw him into recollections of the great traumas of his life. Surviving tragedy, abuse and addiction hasn't built a resilience in Anthony, it has eaten through his defences and exposed a vulnerability that sees him at the edge. His survival has been reliant on hope, but when that too is gone, what is left for him?
Anthony's suicidal ideation is triggered by workplace bullying but its root lies in events over a lifetime. The big moments in life have left imprints on him. Their impact was not just in the moment, but they shaped who he is and in doing so, created susceptibility for what followed. Natural disaster sets Anthony's direction that leads to tragedy. Tragedy inflicts a vulnerability that leads to sexual abuse, which in turn leads to a path of failure, rebellion, mental illness, addiction and isolation. Though stability comes, it is short lived. Further tragedy sends him back on the same self-destructive path.
The alienation he feels in modern society doesn't show. He has pushed those closest to him away, but the people he now encounters are unable to see what lurks beneath the surface.
The Ride to Work is a reminder that the loneliest feelings often come in crowded locations. At the most desperate points, Anthony feels beyond help, but is he? Lives interconnect and however small our roles may be, we can impact the lives of all who we cross paths with. Whether we are part of the problem or part of the solution comes down to our choices.
For seven years, public servant Anthony Speed has commuted by bicycle to his inner-city office dreading the monotony and drudgery of his job. On an otherwise routine Monday morning, he sets out to do this one last time.
The ride forward to his destination coincides with a journey back through his past, as the people and places he crosses paths with draw him into recollections of the great traumas of his life. Surviving tragedy, abuse and addiction hasn't built a resilience in Anthony, it has eaten through his defences and exposed a vulnerability that sees him at the edge. His survival has been reliant on hope, but when that too is gone, what is left for him?
Anthony's suicidal ideation is triggered by workplace bullying but its root lies in events over a lifetime. The big moments in life have left imprints on him. Their impact was not just in the moment, but they shaped who he is and in doing so, created susceptibility for what followed. Natural disaster sets Anthony's direction that leads to tragedy. Tragedy inflicts a vulnerability that leads to sexual abuse, which in turn leads to a path of failure, rebellion, mental illness, addiction and isolation. Though stability comes, it is short lived. Further tragedy sends him back on the same self-destructive path.
The alienation he feels in modern society doesn't show. He has pushed those closest to him away, but the people he now encounters are unable to see what lurks beneath the surface.
The Ride to Work is a reminder that the loneliest feelings often come in crowded locations. At the most desperate points, Anthony feels beyond help, but is he? Lives interconnect and however small our roles may be, we can impact the lives of all who we cross paths with. Whether we are part of the problem or part of the solution comes down to our choices.