I figured it was time to give an update on some of Karen's latest and upcoming travels :) Once I started writing though, this turned into my reflections on being a bike-commuter. So, as to not bore you too much with my life, I will have to give further travel updates at a later time.
Shortly after returning from my Winter Holiday in Oregon, I spent a weekend in NC caring for my nephew - an adorable, black, fuzzy dog :) I ran him ragged. We ran, walked, hiked, and spent time with my friend/roommate Kate and her family and my other roommate Emily who came down to NC for the first time. I also came to the realization, again, that I hate driving. This realization began while I was home over Christmas. My family let me use one of their cars and since suburbia is not easily traversed by bike - and my friends are spread all over the state - I gave up my tree hugging commitments for a month.
For those who don't know, I am a bike-commuter and if I have to go farther away than my little legs can take me and still continue to walk, I use bus or metro or am usually going with someone else who drives. Many think this decision occurred due to a lack of resources not an intentional decision on my part, so I figured I would clarify that and give you some insight into the mind of Karen. Viewer discretion is advised, my head is a messy place :-P
First off, I find traffic ridiculously stressful. While in Oregon, and NC, my back, neck, and shoulders became a mass of knots. People are crazy and unpredictable in cars and they speed by life at amazing velocity. I don't think that is the point of life and do everything in my power to connect with the moment - definitely not saying I always succeed at that. Being in a car detracts from that.
You also get caught in these terrible traffic jams where the bad energy emoted far outweighs the good. In DC especially, people honk if they think you had space to turn right on a red light and you didn't do it. Or, if you stopped for the pedestrians in the cross walk and they are running late to an earth-shattering meeting that they probably don't even want to go to but are doing out of obligation, that they tried to squeeze into an overbooked schedule and are now going to take it out on you because they are so miserable in their lives. (Yes, I am judgmental and that is what I think of you, if you honk in traffic). I always find myself looking in people's back seats when they honk because there better be a woman whose child is crowning or someone in desperate need of medical attention for them to be that impatient.
On my bike, I can weave between the gridlock (yes, I am that 'obnoxious' cyclist). I can be engaged in what I pass on my trip. I interact with the people around me. And I don't want to fall asleep, which happens when I am in cars - now you are all glad I don't drive.
Cars, also disconnect you from other people and the environment - I know, that is why many people love cars but I will argue that our disconnection from one another, as a society, is what causes many of our mental health issues these days - but that is a long tangent. On my bike, I can tell you that since coming back in Jan. it has tended to be cold at the beginning of the week and warm up as the week goes on, until this week that the weather patterns changed. I get to see and hear the world waking up to spring. I see the flowers pushing up from the cold, lifeless earth. I hear the birds starting to sing. When it rains, I feel the water splashing down (or up) and truly appreciate the feeling of 'dry' that I don't think you can really understand if you are not soaked to the bone every once in a while. (You also understand warm and appreciate your heat, home, clothes, blankets, etc, after freezing to the bone for a 45 minute commute).
I get to meet the "Good Morning" crossing guard by my house every morning and wish all I pass an equally good morning. Plus, from a time perspective, I get between 30 and 60 miles of biking in a week, just getting around - who needs 'gym time'. I won't even mention the financial and environmental benefits, with the increase in oil costs and all that jazz. Beyond the obvious expense issues, I am also a far more 'conscious consumer' in other aspects of my life. If I have to actually carry the food I buy (either on the bus or on my back while biking) I am not going to buy any unnecessary items. I also have to make a planned effort to go to the store for any reason, and am FAR less likely to impulse buy or purchase for the purpose of purchasing, because again, I can't just throw it in the trunk of my car.
My friend Max recently shared this link with me that has great information about biking and how our society really needs to move toward that as an alternative.
I realize not all cities are currently designed for bikes. And suburbs were designed to get people outside the city requiring cars, etc. But, I think that means we need to reexamine what we value as a society and what impact those decisions will have on generations to come. Does this mean I will never own a car or I condemn those of you that do? Of course, not. :) I simply think as with all we do and say and are, as a society, we really need to think about these things more. And, I hope this serves as a way for some of you to better understand Karen and why she chooses 'to be poor' by our society's definition.
Thanks for bearing with this insight in to Karen!
