It started with a bike.
Then there was a destination.
Now a passion burns inside, influencing my commute daily. I've been missing this stress relieving, fitness enhancing, community building activity for a while now. I get such a thrill from a short ride between home and work. I see animals like lizards, roadrunners, and coyotes in this urban landscape. Other cyclist share the pathways and bike lanes with the occasional 'ding ding' of bells. Cars, however, often receive the ominous 'ding ding DING' of my bell, accompanied by a scowling skinny guy of course.
I'm looking forward to a future in which the family commutes about Tucson, though I know that is some time distant from now. The world is a great place when we look at the overall big picture. Too bad cars shut out so much of that image behind metal, glass, and annoying morning show DJ's.
2 comments:
I'm glad you've been getting to ride your bike more. I can't wait to get back to that feeling of coming home on a bike, and to teach Sesame what's so nice about it.
Starting this fall, I'm going to commit to riding to work at least 2 days a week - it may be more since I have to sell my car, and I'm not sure how I'll replace it.
There are small sub-sects of the car culture that are admirable. There are those that see beauty in taking cars that have been cast aside, and making them useful again - with varying levels of style or practicality. I am a motorhead in reality, and love the thrill.
At the same time - one must be cogent of the fact that there are cyclists that "over kill" the concept with an air of superiority. We can no more hate car drivers that we can hate the faithful. The truth is that it is a culture. It's a "right" and a way of life that's been ingrained in them from the very beginning of their existence. I grew up in rural Arizona, amidst tractors and combines and giant hay trucks. Point blank, riding a bike is only NOW becoming a feasible task around here. Truth.
I can agree with the freedom and feeling of accomplishment that a bike brings that a car just does not - but we should all remember that we are not defined by our choice of transportation - unless we choose to be.
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