A couple of weeks ago I tried to calculate my carbon footprint. Now my amounts were mainly estimates but I still thought I would do fairly well with many of the reductions I have made. So it was a bit discouraging when I realized just how much of a negative environmental impact I still create. Many individuals have posted about walking and riding their bikes, so a week ago I was able to fix my bike. And let me tell you-I am SO out of bike riding shape! I can't believe how difficult it is to do an activity that was so standard as a child. Granted I live in a very hilly community but it was still sad awakening in regards to my health. Yet I realize that over time my bike riding will improve and my health (physically and mentally) has already improved.
Yesterday I went for a quick run after work and then decided to walk to complete my afternoon errands. I am so encouraged however by the positive support from my coworkers. Every time I have shown up walking or on my bike (or talked about recycling or a million other frugal and/or green topics) my new coworkers have been incredibly supportive! What a change from my normal work environments! However by walking to complete all of my errands I walked approximately four miles. I did develop a blister on the bottom of one foot, but I also burned calories, cleared my mind from work stress, had time to process additional information, reduced my environmental impact, and engaged my senses. I took time to look at the fluffy clouds, to stop and pet the dragonfly on the ground, to smell the salt breeze, to feel the wind full blast upon my body. I felt the tension ease out of my body as each muscle engaged, stretched, and contracted. I felt the sweat come to my temples as I neared the tops of the tall hills and the breath of my body deepen. I felt my body and my mind connect to the natural elements of its being and of its surrounding. I felt truly alive.
Often times when I'm driving around in my own little enclosed space, thinking only about myself and my day, I forget just how connected I am to the rest of the world. It's when I travel by my own doing, whether by foot, by pedal, or by swim stroke, that I realize how dependent upon my body I am and how dependent that body is upon the world. And every time I walk, hike, bike, or swim, I think to myself, "Why don't I do this more often?"
1 comment:
Yay for human-powered transportation! For blister avoidance, check out good quality socks that wick away moisture from running stores. A friend whose car was recently totaled came to the same conclusions as you about how being enclosed in a car cuts off her connection to her surroundings. Keep up the good work!
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