This may sound like preaching, but it's the reality of life in the
jungle. SHOPPING is very similar to HUNTING GATHERING, only that you
are hunting for bargains or for something that catches your monkey
attention. There many temptations out there to grab your monkey
attention, some of them making you believe that you are the hunter
while you are the hunted. Or perhaps it's a combination of the two.
The point is that the outing itself is worth the effort to ride a
bike. It can be hard effort or gentle effort, it can even be no effort
if you fancy an electric bike. It certainly is no struggle unless you
are one of those stupid monkeys with shopping bags hanging from the
handlebars. Remember, STUPIDITY IS NOT REWARDED IN THE JUNGLE. Set up
yourself nicely with racks, panniers, helmet, lights and everything
you may need in your hunting-gathering adventure. Get peanuts, popcorn
and don't forget water! Make it pleasant even if you indulge in your
favorite chocolate cookies. Hey, DON'T WORRY, you are burning calories
in those adventures! I love the word adventure, only that dodging cars
is an unfair survival game that we don't need. We only got one life,
you know. This is not the real thing where you must face the saber
tooth tiger.
Well, you know, carry a banana for the tiger! (plastic may work)
THIS IS A WONDERFUL DESCRIPTION OF CYCLING FOR THE HELL OF IT:
Energy is important, but living life fully is even more important
There is something more subtle in favor of bicycling than just the
energy equation. While riding the bike, I slow down, get to know my
surroundings, and feel like I’m part of the community, rather than
feeling isolated from it. Many of us have been discovering the value
of “relocalizing” - getting in touch with our neighborhoods and
communities to support one another during these crazy times. But
that’s hard to do when zipping around in a big metal box. If I see a
friend while biking, it is easy to stop and have a chat. I can smell
the unique smells (it is springtime here in North Carolina) and hear
the unique sounds of each part of my community. When there’s an event
going on at one of the local gathering spots, I can hear the music and
feel the energy of the crowd. I often stop and help box turtles across
the road (not so easy to do in a car) and watch them as they wander
off into the bushes. And all the while, I am getting consistent,
moderate exercise.
When it rains, I get to feel that too. I used to mind that part, but
one day after watching my young daughters run outside to play in a
rainstorm - totally unfazed - I realized that my distaste for the rain
was a learned thing, something I could unlearn. So I did. But more
importantly, biking daily has taught me to pay attention to my
surroundings. (Although I still don’t ride in thunderstorms, as I have
an aversion to anything over about 100 volts or so.) Cars have taught
us to ignore our surroundings and just go on our way, unaware of
whatever conditions may exist in the world around us. It’s like the
time when I was much younger, when I tried to drive a car across
Nebraska in a historic snowstorm and ended up stuck in a 3-foot snow
drift in the middle of I-80 (which was closed for 2 days). I would
never have attempted that on a bike. I would have stopped and waited
until the weather was better. The "old me" was impatient to get where
I was going fast, and, as a result, I missed the joy that could be had
along the way. The "new me" has rediscovered the simple joy of getting
there, with all its twists and turns.
I believe this is a parable for all of modern society. We have become
so accustomed to our modern conveniences that we are led to a
depressive sort of "doomer" mentality, thinking that some of them
might be taken away by the likes of Peak Oil and Peak Money. Many
people seem to lack imagination regarding how they would get by
without their metal boxes to zip around in, their air conditioned
houses to live in, and their always-on Internet connection. If my
experience with bike riding is any hint, we’ll get by just fine.
http://www.chrismartenson.com/quiet-revolution-bicycles-recapturing-role-utilitarian-people-movers-part-i
