I am trying to ride my bicycle to work every day, but there are unfortunate times when in our culture you have to drive a car. This happened today. I had to drive to work so I could drop off my kid's artwork to an art show. This artwork was too nice and fragile to bounce around in the milk crate on the back of my bicycle.
All day at work I kept looking out the window at the blue sky with white clouds drifting past and was wishing that I was going to ride my bike home. The last few days of biking to work I realized it was nice to not play the radio and listen to the insufferable obnoxious personalities telling the news and playing songs I have heard a million times before. I discovered my car created an unwelcome barrier between me and the surrounding world but, bicycling made me feel more connected to the neighborhoods I rode through. I realized that driving a car is stressful, but does not provide any release for the stress it creates. I concede that bicycling creates some stress, especially safety, but bicycling gives the release of exercise to do whatever physical exercise does to mental and emotional tension. There is something about the casual easy pace of riding a bike that takes my mind off of the problems at work. So, not only was I looking out the window wishing to bicycle home I was looking out the window wishing I was not driving home.
My biggest anxiety was when people asked my how my bike ride was this morning and I had to confess that I drove in so I could run errands on the way home. I felt I needed to explain all the trivial details as if it was necessary to justify my actions. Perhaps this was guilt talking and I was speaking more to myself than my co-workers.
I have a day off tomorrow and I have lots of errands to run, so I will do them all on my bicycle to make penance for the error of my ways.
(c) Adron
All day at work I kept looking out the window at the blue sky with white clouds drifting past and was wishing that I was going to ride my bike home. The last few days of biking to work I realized it was nice to not play the radio and listen to the insufferable obnoxious personalities telling the news and playing songs I have heard a million times before. I discovered my car created an unwelcome barrier between me and the surrounding world but, bicycling made me feel more connected to the neighborhoods I rode through. I realized that driving a car is stressful, but does not provide any release for the stress it creates. I concede that bicycling creates some stress, especially safety, but bicycling gives the release of exercise to do whatever physical exercise does to mental and emotional tension. There is something about the casual easy pace of riding a bike that takes my mind off of the problems at work. So, not only was I looking out the window wishing to bicycle home I was looking out the window wishing I was not driving home.
My biggest anxiety was when people asked my how my bike ride was this morning and I had to confess that I drove in so I could run errands on the way home. I felt I needed to explain all the trivial details as if it was necessary to justify my actions. Perhaps this was guilt talking and I was speaking more to myself than my co-workers.
I have a day off tomorrow and I have lots of errands to run, so I will do them all on my bicycle to make penance for the error of my ways.
(c) Adron
