I'm not exaggerating

My blogger friends have threatened to do bad things to me if I don't shorten my blog entries. Be patient. I'm a blog virgin.

So let's try a different tack. What am I doing when I'm not out walking along heavily trafficked roads on crazy-long hiking trips through the region? Mostly I'm doing what everyone else I know is doing, sitting in front of a computer screen in my office, answering emails, writing a lot, and generally taking care of business. On top of that, I'm spending a fair amount of time deciphering complicated bus schedules, and trying to figure out how the blogosphere works. 

One thing I'm not doing is getting in my car - ever. I'm coming up on two months car free, and I can honestly say it doesn't even occur to me anymore to resort to my automobile when I have to go somewhere. I love my bike. I absolutely LOVE my bike - a new cycle cross model that feels like I'm riding on air compared to my tired old bike. I use it as a first resort for travel now whenever possible. How could I have let my biking habit slip away for so many years? I literally feel more alive and more in control of my life when I'm on my bike, even when the weather is really lousy. In some ways the lousier the better. I'm not just being a masochist when I say that. It really does make one feel more alive to be in contact with the actual world, rain or shine, dark or light. Joyous even. I'm not exaggerating. 

When I have to take the bus I do, but that's mostly for the trip into Seattle, which I make once a week on Thursdays to teach meditation and yoga to veterans at the VA Hospital. That trip takes about two hours door to door, starting with a twenty minute bike ride to the ferry, a twenty minute ferry crossing, a one hour bus trip to downtown Seattle (on the express commuter bus) or two hours if I have to make the trip at other times. Then there is another bus that takes me up to the VA. Truth is, though, its not that much longer than driving during rush hour, and I get a lot of work done in transit when I would otherwise be coping with driving.

My work at the VA with Dr. David Kearney has been a real anchor for me during this time. In addition to his work as a physician and Prof. of Medicine at UW Medical School, David is a serious meditator, and a great teaching colleague for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). It is humbling and a privilege to work with veterans, many of whom are referred to us because their conditions of chronic pain or post-traumatic stress will not yield any further to conventional medicine. They are willing to try anything to find relief for their pain - even meditation and yoga. It's so inspiring to see the effort they make, and to watch the light bulbs come on in their minds and hearts when they realize that they have the power to take real control of their relationship with pain and distress. They may not be able to eliminate the pain, but they don't have to be helpless victims of it either.   

Most times I take my bike with me on the bus into the city, so I can peddle around to my other meetings. I usually get where I'm going that way quicker than I would waiting for the bus anyway, and like I said, I just feel better doing it. I try to work in a meeting or two with colleagues in the city when I'm done at the VA, and while I'm waiting for the commuter bus schedule to kick back in. 

I feel like a quarterback studying my playbook as I try to figure out the vagaries of overlapping bus schedules from each of the county's transit services. The cost of missing a bus can be a long wait. That is a hassle, but even that doesn't bother me as much as it used to. It's a chance to catch up on my reading, chat with other commuters, or just take in the life of the city that I would otherwise be rushing past. There have been times when I've gotten really frustrated by unexpected delays, but not that many. 

Last week I met with a staffer at People for Puget Sound to pick her brain about how my Circling Home project can be of benefit to their work on habitat restoration in the Sound. Next week I'll be meeting with several staff from Sightline (formerly Northwest Environment Watch), who are interested in sharing insights from my car free experiment. These contacts are also grounding to me, helping me feel that my efforts are not happening in isolation, and also helping me understand how what I'm doing can be of service to others. 

One more thing. We're in the heat of a fascinating presidential primary season. I won't tip my hand on who I'm supporting for President, but last week I stayed over in Seattle so I could go to the rally at Key Arena on Friday with Barack Obama. It was the best political speech I've ever heard, and I am 100% behind Obama for President. Go Barack! I'm so proud of my state for giving him an overwhelming victory at the caucuses last weekend. I went to our Democratic Caucus on South Whidbey, where 1400 people packed into the South Whidbey High School gym - far more than have ever come to a caucus before. It was a celebratory event. And it was only a two mile bike ride to get there. No sweat.