And now, this fine fall morning, and me toppled over in the gutter. I’m all right! I thought and jumped up. Everything was fine, perfectly fine! A bloody knee, scraped palms. Nothing broken. But — what if I’d fallen in front of a car and died? Would people say at my funeral, she was doing what she loved? Or, that’s what you get, riding a bike when you’re over fifty five?
No wonder we’re moving so slowly on climate change. One person’s citizen activism can look an awful lot like foolishness. It’s hard to make oneself uncomfortable, knowing that it might not be the best, or most effective, or even the right solution to a problem. We might not ever become a people who bicycle or use mass transit. We might become brains in vats.
But climate change is here. Obesity is epidemic. Oil supplies are finite and precious. Leadership is anemic. Gas is cheap (in Copenhagen gas costs $6 a gallon). I limped home, washed and bandaged my wounds, got on the bicycle and pedaled to the gym. There were no eagles that day, but the sky was blue, and the air crisp. The bandages made me feel kind of macho.
Maybe this year, twice a week.
April 3, 2017 at 6:10 pm
It is much easier to do if you move/live in a more urban area. Doesn’t have to be in a city, either. Just some place with an “urban center.” These areas are becoming much more popular. I basically only get in my car to go to a big box store, do large amount of groceries for entertaining, visit friends/family or go into the city to eat. I can walk to two different grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants, coffee houses, etc. It has spoiled me to the core, though. I get moody if I have to go to the deep suburbs for anything. Life is good if you can give up the car. I could, but still prefer to have one on those occasions mentioned above. I’m just not into the zipcar thing or popular rideshares, like Uber or Lyft. So, will never get rid of the car for good.
April 5, 2017 at 4:11 pm
Thanks for the comment. I know what you mean about being spoiled.We are close enough to grocery stores to walk, and I often do. Bravo to you for making your break, most of the way anyway, from your car. It helps me to get out of mine, when I see others walking or riding. Cheers —