Stress-free and Carefree

Getting off the bus at my stop, I noticed a young man exiting at the same time. He was walking in the same direction as I, and after he placed his book in the library after-hours drop box, I decided to strike up a conversation (readers are cool, right?) I asked about the book he had just returned, whether it was a good read or not. He admitted he kept the book way past the due date trying to get into it, but the book never caught his interest, despite being written by one of his favorite authors.

As we walked the next block, we both agreed one of the great things about riding the bus was having time to read. We could also agree on how relaxing it is to get to a destination without being stressed over traffic or parking. Then my new bus buddy, Jake, admitted 'I just hate driving, that's all!' He shared that being driven, even if on the bus, was a bit of a treat, stress-free, and dare I say, carefree! And that besides the bus, there are other creative ways to get around Nashville without driving, or by driving less. He is also a bike commuter and avid walker, so getting around the driving thing is not a problem for him. As he walked a block past my destination, I thought about how nice it was to meet a young person with such an open perspective.

As I've said before, being car-less is not for everyone, but if more people considered alternatives to driving everywhere, would there be a little less pollution and traffic and more people becoming physically active? I believe so, and Jake and I are proof being car-less can lead to being a little more carefree. Try it for yourself and see...

Keep Walking

Today when I left work headed to school, I thought about walking, as I often do, but also thought I would catch a bus headed that way if available. So, I started walking, looking behind me every block or so to see if the bus was coming. As I got further along, I passed several bus stops with people waiting for the same bus I was on the lookout for. Seeing those waiting people reminded me of how frustrated my ex-husband would become when I wanted to walk instead of waiting, knowing the bus would eventually catch up with me. He would rather wait for the bus, and would ask, 'Why do you have to constantly be on the move? Can't you just sit here and wait?'

As I walked and remembered those conversations, I realized that our differing perspectives on waiting for the bus versus moving ahead toward the destination may have an impact on why we are no longer married. There's nothing wrong with patiently waiting for something expected, whether a bus or a desired goal. However, if you can work toward the destination while waiting, isn't that a better option? Today, as I kept walking, I was able to decompress from my workday, mentally change gears from work to school and get in 20 minutes of brisk walking. Along the way, I passed several cars stuck in heavy traffic that would have further delayed the bus had it ever arrived. So, I don't regret not waiting for the bus today, nor do I regret not waiting to work toward other destinations in life. We do have to be patient, but we can be walking toward our goals while waiting.

My Bike Guy

I took my bike to East Side Cycles for a tune up and the young man who helped me has also chosen to be 'car-less' in Nashville. When I asked him to share his story, he explained his choice stemmed from LA traffic over 8 years ago. While sitting in traffic trying to make the less than 10 mile commute to work that routinely took him over 30 minutes, he saw a bicycle wiz by him. Right then, he made up his mind that cycling to work would take less time and had to be less stressful. Needless to say, he was correct.

Then, he took his trusty bike to be repaired, and decided he could keep the bike repaired himself and save even more time and money. He not only taught himself to be a bike mechanic, but he started working for a bike repair shop, gave up his car and has since moved to Nashville. He commutes all around Nashville using his bike, and now he's my go to guy to keep my bike in good repair. He's also helping me as I shop for a new bike to kick my bike commuting into high gear. Nice to know there are many others who have found alternative ways of getting around Nashville. More to come...