My dream: a community powered life
shot from Community Garden Bike Tour
Yesterday as I was riding home from work, sweaty and exhausted from the many hills in our city, I was tempted to think “What the hell am I doing?!”. I had worked all morning, Freddy was in the shop (headset issues again) and Big Girl was so cumbersome with a full pannier and myself on it, plus the wind was fierce and seemed determined to keep me at a snails pace.
Then I realized that I am walking the walk (Or biking the walk?) when it comes to transportation. My biking harms little, damages nothing and truly cares for my city. If I need to get somewhere it is dependent only upon me to make it happen; no gas companies or struggling company in Detroit, just me.
This got me thinking that I am getting closer to my real dream: to live a community powered life. A life where my food is grown locally, my transportation is me-powered, my entertainment is in small, locally owned theaters and venues, my beer is bottled nearby and my morning coffee is roasted mere miles from my house. Some of these are a reality for me, and others a hope, but all are getting closer and more real.
I understand that we must get things from afar, be that another country or another state, but I want less of that and more of my community in the things that I consume or enjoy.
Funny what a little bike ride gets you thinking, isn’t it?
You are wise beyond your years. You give me hope.
Richard
Yes, yes, yes.
This is great! Have you heard of transition towns? There is a movement out of the UK doing exactly what you have mentioned above and more! They even have their own currency!
Here is a 45 min film describing their work:
http://transitionculture.org/2009/12/17/in-transition-1-0-now-also-available-on-vimeo/
Cheers,
Logan.
Sacramento, CA soon to be Portland, OR.
Nice thoughts. One of the good things about biking
.
You are where a lot of people are trying to get to!
Amen! It’s one of the big reasons the Mr. and I are moving from our hometown of 1.5 million people to Boulder, CO (~100,000). We want to live somewhere where we can actually walk and ride places, eat and drink and entertain locally and be close enough to the community that we get to know its people.