Today (Saturday NOV 12) the kids and I weaved in and out of rows of custom bikes, small frames with large wheels, like bone-shakers, and mini recliners, recumbent bikes and scooters. We bought a few cheap nic-nacs and jumped back on our bike to ride through the streets downtown. We sat in the custom experimental speed "human powered vehicle" on view with the engineering students from the University of Arizona, maxing out at 35+ MPH in trial runs.
It was again this morning that I recalled the bloodless, cold process of drive-through commuting to and from work, school and home each day. After six months of living within the space of work and play, I can finally breath - it's as though I've thrown off a heavy burden, the shackle binding my every day actions to oil/ fuel/ and auto. This dependency is sold as the engine of independence. The ability for every individual to drive wherever they desire to go - on or off road, sun up or sundown, is supposed to offer complete independence - true personal freedom of movement. What it actually encourages is an impersonal, detachment from neighbor, friend and family.
Not only isolation, but also societal dependence on the world-wide oil/fuel/auto industries. An interdependent empire which could not survive without a co-dependent society like America, a society which has purchased stock in the myth of personal independence and freedom as an outgrowth of owning and driving large auto's, regularly and often.
Daniel King
"short enough to see up the skirt of subconsciousness, stout enough to brawl with real life" ~ Cold Albert, homeless midget
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