Showing a dour face while commuting has always been a mainstay of the NYC commuter. After all, you want to appear tough and fearless in the face of the homeless looking for money and invisible to the potential slasher. I have been observing this frown parade for decades and have never thought much of it - - a self protective mechanism at worst.
Lately however I have felt distressed at the grittier, more ingrained frown I observe as I commute on two wheels every day. Bicycling gives you a purview of town you don't get any other way. You literally pass thousands of people and see them up close - one of the beautiful luxuries being on a bike affords you. And here is what I see.
People don't seem too happy. The frown is becoming the cultural norm. It does not seem to want to crest upwards into a smile. There seems to be little joy in the expressions of all the commuters I see them hustling to their offices. They seem to be shuffling along, determined to go to their cubicle and put on the ball and chain until they can turn around and go back home.
This does not seem to be the key to a happy life. If you don't like what you do every day - - change it.
My tonic: ride a bicycle as often as possible. The world becomes a new oasis of possibility and joy with every ride.
PS: Kudos to Janette Sadik-Khan for handing out lights on the west side bike path. I nominate her as Chief Engineer of the Galaxy.
And remember: It's Your Lane! Do something with it.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Best Analgesic
Last night I gorged in an eating frenzy. It wasn't my fault. American Express sent me a gift certificate to the gourmand capital of American eating: The Capital Grille. It was all delicious, and they told me there was a hoist in the back should I need to be lifted out of my booth (and I think they may have been serious).
Despite the fact that Jeanne and I actually split a entree, the portions are so gargantuan I do not understand how people can eat that much. But it does provide an understanding of why so many of us have so many extra avoirdupois.
I went to bed feeling awful. There were joint and bone pains I never had before. It was not food poisoning - - just overindulgence and I think the body screams at you in its own way.
So I got on my trusty ride and pushed it (now up to 8990 miles!). It hurt. It screamed. But after 45 minutes all the pain seemed to evaporate. My fears of a femur breaking and poking through my flesh on its own accord evaporated. I actually began to feel normal again. (A treatise on what is normal will follow sometime in the next decade.)
So.....next time you feel awful from overindulgence, get out on your bike!
By the way, the new Willis Avenue Bridge is now open. It's ugly but smooth.
Despite the fact that Jeanne and I actually split a entree, the portions are so gargantuan I do not understand how people can eat that much. But it does provide an understanding of why so many of us have so many extra avoirdupois.
I went to bed feeling awful. There were joint and bone pains I never had before. It was not food poisoning - - just overindulgence and I think the body screams at you in its own way.
So I got on my trusty ride and pushed it (now up to 8990 miles!). It hurt. It screamed. But after 45 minutes all the pain seemed to evaporate. My fears of a femur breaking and poking through my flesh on its own accord evaporated. I actually began to feel normal again. (A treatise on what is normal will follow sometime in the next decade.)
So.....next time you feel awful from overindulgence, get out on your bike!
By the way, the new Willis Avenue Bridge is now open. It's ugly but smooth.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Mr. Armani meet Mr. Messenger or... class difference perceptions
So....
It has been a hellish water logged day for many.
The irony, of course, is that the planet is desperate for fresh water and the number of people who do not have access to clean drinking water numbers in the billions.
But whenever there is too much, or too little, it feels like a problem.
Mark these words: in five years water will be the resource managed and valued greater than oil today. You heard it here first.
But back to Mr. Armani.
Even on a torrential day like today in NYC, I rode my bicycle to work. No pontoons.
But here is the funny part.
I dress professionally every day. So, for me, that usually means slacks and a sports coat. Sometimes a suit. I happen to like Armani. The stuff fits me and looks good on my bicycle body.
When weather permits, I ride without a coat.
When it rains, I put my two piece Campmor rain suit over my professional garb. I always arrive dry. And I will go to business meetings all over town using my bicycle even when it rains.
But the looks I get upon arrival are telling:
"The mailroom is on the side of the building"
"We don't accept deliveries here"
"WHO are you seeing? That is a senior executive. Why are you here?"
etc.
Bicycle riders in the "wrong garb" get no respect.
It is a lens on the bifurcated society we live in.
Bicycles are a focal point for bias and a way people display bigotry.
So sad and telling on so many levels.
It has been a hellish water logged day for many.
The irony, of course, is that the planet is desperate for fresh water and the number of people who do not have access to clean drinking water numbers in the billions.
But whenever there is too much, or too little, it feels like a problem.
Mark these words: in five years water will be the resource managed and valued greater than oil today. You heard it here first.
But back to Mr. Armani.
Even on a torrential day like today in NYC, I rode my bicycle to work. No pontoons.
But here is the funny part.
I dress professionally every day. So, for me, that usually means slacks and a sports coat. Sometimes a suit. I happen to like Armani. The stuff fits me and looks good on my bicycle body.
When weather permits, I ride without a coat.
When it rains, I put my two piece Campmor rain suit over my professional garb. I always arrive dry. And I will go to business meetings all over town using my bicycle even when it rains.
But the looks I get upon arrival are telling:
"The mailroom is on the side of the building"
"We don't accept deliveries here"
"WHO are you seeing? That is a senior executive. Why are you here?"
etc.
Bicycle riders in the "wrong garb" get no respect.
It is a lens on the bifurcated society we live in.
Bicycles are a focal point for bias and a way people display bigotry.
So sad and telling on so many levels.
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