Cars dull our senses. You are in one spot, get in, push some pedals, turn a wheel to-and-fro, get out and you’re somewhere else. While operating these pedals and the wheel, you can look through panes of glass at the surroundings you are traveling through. You can even look at mirrors to see different angles without moving your head. Basically, you look straight ahead, your vision is limited, and since you’re going so fast, you miss most of what’s around you. You even lose track of how far you are really going, as you can’t really see the ground below you.
Since I’ve been riding my bike everywhere I’ve noticed many things that I hadn’t before, for example, the intersection of Michillinda and where California turns into Sunset always smells like sewage. Also, people primarily go walking in the mornings with their children in strollers, and at night with their dogs. 10 minutes in a car is REALLY FAR. Imagine, if you will, an age where bikes and cars didn’t exist. That 10 minute ride would would have taken you 45 minutes if you were jogging/running, 1.5 hours walking, and the people you pass along the way would wish you a good morning.
Go outside. Next time you have to get somewhere that is less than 5 miles away, walk there. If you are tired, lazy, or out of shape this walk will help cure your ailments. At the end of a very long, exhausting day yesterday, a 7 mile ride woke me up, and gave me a boost of energy I so desperately needed.
Vote Quimby
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