Last week, I wrote about picking up dog poop.  This week, I write about picking up a new trick.

A local bike shop in Portland, OR, used to post an ad in the paper saying, “One day a week.  That’s all we ask.”  Their appeal, implicit in the text and line art, was for people to forego their cars and instead ride their bike just one day a week.

This ad, and countless other factors, have witnessed a bike-friendly culture whose citizens conduct more than 5% of all trips on either foot or bike. 

I shared this bit of information with my mother last fall. 

A LITTLE NOTE: For the purposes of this post, my mother will be referred to as “Mom” and my father, “Dad”.  Our conversations hopefully convey the critical tone that, I am loath to admit, I occasionally employ at the age of 30.  Imagine the rolled eyes and exasperation and annoyance of a stereotypical 13-year old saying,  “Mah-ahm.”  I know, how embarrassing.



I digress. 

Mom, who can be feisty and competitive, took this as a challenge.  She said, “I could do that!  I could not drive my car one day a week.”  Mom, a lively, witty, active woman who lives and works in suburbia on the east coast with Dad, clarified the terms of engagement.

“Does the weekend count?”  All days of the week count, Mom.

“If I am going to a dinner party with Dad, and I get a ride with him, does that count as not driving?”  Sure.  For this exercise, we’ll count carpooling as “not driving”.

“What if I stay home an entire day?  Does that count as not driving?  Even if I don’t get on my bike?”  Yes, Mom.  Staying at home counts as not driving, because, well,  you’re not driving.  Also, you are probably consolidating your errands into one trip at another time.

So she tried it out.  At least, she tried the thought out.  Every week, there was some reason why it didn’t work out.  One phone conversation stands out in particular.

Mom said, “Mere, I did it!  I was so good: I didn’t drive all Saturday.”

I said, “That’s great, Mom!”

She continued, “But then, I drove.”  Insert pause.  “To yoga.”

My excitement dropped a few notches.  Yoga, I knew, was less than a mile away, on bike-friendly streets.  It had been a beautiful weekend.

“Well, Mom, that’s okay.  You tried, right?  There’s always next weekend,” I offered, not sure if I was consoling her or myself.

It’s these kinds of exchanges that kill me.  I see us – my mother, friends, our communities, and myself – make choices that do not add up.  We like the idea of biking (or eating less meat, or living in energy-efficient homes, or doing “green” things), but rarely do anything to further these values or commitments.

On a visit home last summer, my partner and I invited ourselves to Mom’s yoga class.  We ambushed the outing: when Mom came out the door, car keys in hand, we had two bikes ready to go (our tandem and her cruiser).  As we biked to class, my partner and I (probably annoyingly so) pointed out all of the benefits of biking to yoga:

“Wow, how speedy!  Biking this short distance takes just as much time as driving,” I remarked.
“Cleverly convenient! We do not have to look for parking,” he  cried.
“Hot! Biking is a good warm up for the yoga poses,” I enthusiastically proclaimed.

On the way home, we continued the patter:

“Carbon neutral!  We didn’t use any gas!” we exclaimed.
“Ahhh, refreshing!  I love noticing the smells, breezes, and blooms.” I said.
“Mmm, connections!  Biking through the neighborhood makes me feel more connected with the community and the natural environment,” he observed. 

Through it all, Mom smiled and nodded with a skeptical furrow in her brow.  It was like she wanted to drink the pedal-powered kool-aid, but just wasn’t quite ready,

I guess these things just take time.  A few weekends later, Mom called up and announced triumphantly, “Mere, I did it!  For real.  I did a whole day without driving my car.  Plus, I biked to yoga.”



Go Mom! 

I want to be like Mom one day. I want to be flexible and learn new tricks. At least one day a week. 

Meredith Sorensen writes about the intersection of waste and human behavior. Other organic musings can be found on Meredith’s Trash or Treasure blog. Additional information is housed on her I Know Trash website.

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