An Eco-logical Mind

The Beauty of Biking

I have to admit, for a long time I thought that riding my bike to work was going to be a pain in the ass. It rains a lot, it’s cold, blah, blah, blah. Besides, I drive a Prius. Isn’t that good enough?

Apparently not.

That quiet little voice in my head that sometimes whispers “hypocrite” recently started screaming at me on a regular basis. So in an attempt to shut it up I got my old bike out, found my helmet, put on my sweats, threw my suit in a backpack and rode to work on a crisp sunny morning in September.

The first thing that hit me as I sped away from my house – ok, it’s downhill or I would have probably been crawling - was a slap of fresh air more invigorating than a triple shot of Stumptown espresso. I was instantly wide awake and acutely aware of being in the world, rather than observing it, as is the case from a car.

I also realized I was extremely vulnerable. No huge hunk of metal-car shell protecting me. Visions of dumping my bike and becoming intimately acquainted with the pavement flashed through my brain. Better pay attention.

Strangely, I didn’t feel afraid. Quite the opposite. I was awake, alert and vibrantly alive!

I rode through the backstreets of my neighborhood, making eye contact and exchanging smiles with people walking their dogs, reading the paper on the front porch and a young girl doing a headstand in her front yard.

Hmmmm. Positive contact with other humans. Not something I usually experience from the insulated confines of my car.

As I approached the east bank of the river that separates my neighborhood from the central city I was joined by other bicyclists on their way to work. Soon I was in the middle of a people parade, pedaling across the Hawthorne Bridge into downtown.

My route took me to the esplanade that runs along the west bank of the Willamette River all the way to my office in John’s Landing. Blue Heron perched on pylons along the bank. Dragon boats raced silently across the surface like large caterpillars dancing on the water. I could hear birds singing and the breeze blowing through the trees.

For one half hour the separation between me and nature had been erased and I was part of the web of life.

I arrived at work exhilarated and ready to embrace the day.