Forty years ago I started cycling. This was brought on, as necessity often demands, by the circumstance of being a teenager without wheels. Well, without a car. I biked, at that time, to get to church.
Then came college. A small liberal arts college in the middle of a corn field in Ah-Hi-Ya. Oberlin College in located in Oberlin Ohio. What's it like to go to school in Oberlin? Well, put it this way. Oberlin was founded as a progressive Christian community during a time of religious fervor. The famous Charles Finney (think "Billy Graham" of the time) remarked that the choice of Oberlin for the location of the community was so bad, that it set the cause of the gospel back 10 years.
A small town where everything was an easy bike ride. Back then it was the Wonder-Bike - a banana seat cruiser that was tricked out. Didnt need to ever lock it cause everyone knew that bike. Eventually the frame just busted in two.
Having invested in a fine liberal arts education, I put my degree to good work. I became a bike courier in D.C. Now that was a good gig. This is back in the day, back before the Internet had ruined everything. Imagine if you will some pompous trade association that perceived the importance of its annual report was such that every member of Congress needed a framed copy. That's 500+ deliveries. At $1 a drop, that's good scratch. Most the time you'd wander into a Congressional office and they had an inbox all set up for these important deliveries (the trash can).
After a few more years of tangential confusion, I managed my way into a government job. All of them have had lockers and showers on site (sweet). Before kids, I bike commuted a lot. Then came the replicants. Replicants require a schedule for being dropped off at school and being picked up. Replicants dont fit easily in the side bag. And apparently at certain ages if you leave replicants unattended its known as "replicant-abuse." Bike commuting went down.
Then a wonderful thing happened. My replicants became teenagers. Okay, that's not such a good thing. But what is good about this is that teenage replicants can take care of them selves. Okay, actually they cant. Look, the point is, its no longer illegal to leave a teenage replicant by themselves for an hour or so.
Freedom. I didnt have to get home by time certain any more.
I became a 100% bike commuter. We got rid of the second car. We are saving all types of $$$$.
Yesterday, in an act of pure Weight Weenish, I realize I could dump some weight from my ride. Something I carry every day has become superfluous: my car keys. Yesterday, I removed my car keys from my key ring - leaving the office key, home key, and bike key.
That felt good.
I have three car keys on my key ring. I so wish I could get rid of them. They keep poking holes in my pants pockets. Soon my replicants will be in college. Then I will be keyfree.
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