A Habitude Update
Well fellow tree huggers, yesterday it happened. I hit the ½ tank mark in my car. My goal for the month was to survive on half a tank of gas, and I am woefully short of that goal. I didn’t want to use the car AT ALL, and my compromise was to get it down to ½ a talk (half my usual monthly gas consumption.) But alas!
Even though I won’t hit my mark, I’ve still reduced my car usage. Here are some things I’ve learned about being car-free in Seattle.
• The bussing system sucks. This is no news to Seattle residents, but I hadn’t realized the extent of the problem. Every trip requires multiple transfers, the timing is never accurate, and on weekends you have to wait for more than a half hour between busses. Plus, the routes near me have been completely canceled due to bridge construction, so you have to walk half way to your destination before you can get the Metro. I really feel for people who are car-free by financial necessity. It must be really difficult to get to work on time by bus, and I’m sure many minimum wage type employers are not especially tolerant of the situation…
• My neighborhood is imminently walkable. Walking to work every day is 10 minutes; the grocery stores are 15, as is the drug store, library and post office. Even my chiropractor and LMT are w/in a 15 minute walk. So, walking most places is faster than waiting for a bus.
• If you shop a little everyday – which I can do because the grocery store is across from my studio – you throw away less food, eat better, and don’t need to spend two hours navigating the aisle of the megastore.
• Chronic illness and car-free living do not work together. There are too many doctors’ appointments. Add a kid who has so much dry wax in her ear that it takes two trips to the nurse to get her clear, and another who goes to the orthodontist twice a week, a session with the family therapist, and your gas budget is gone just making it to medical appointments.
• Walking to bus with your kids is an endless source of wonder. On our way to an outing over spring break I enjoyed the glory of this list of kid conversations:
“Look Mommy, it’s snowing on that car!!!” (Cherry blossoms falling.)
“Mommy! Those girls are so lucky! They are having a tea party outside in the rain!” (Under a giant golf umbrella).
“See that red dog in the window. I can just envision some eight-year-old running up to her to pet her, and the dog putting on her paws on her shoulder and licking her face!”
(Peering into a tulip blossom) “Oh! I saw a cobweb hammock and a tiny light with a glow worm in it! I saw it! I did! It’s a fairy apartment!”
(Jumping over an oily curbside puddle.) “Oh! A rainbow!”
That’s makes it a habitude worth keeping up with, don’t you think?
How’s your habitude going? What are you learning? What’s inspiring you to love your Momma?
3 comments
I’ve tried really hard to not make any unnecessary trips and so far, so good. Our oldest son works in town and I’ve had to ask him to run by the store a couple of times on his way home but he doesn’t seem to mind too much.
I did buy some 7th Generation products – which I love.
For a while now, we have been eating at least two meatless meals a week. I could be totally vegatarian (I don’t think I could do vegan) but the rest of the family doesn’t agree.
It’s good for Mother and good for us. I’ve noticed that I use less and less chemicals in our daily lives I am having less allergy/sinus related problems.
We love you Mother.
oooo…i forget eating veggie as a love your earth measure. i think we sort of eat a couple times meatless each week by default, but this will inspire me to pay more attention and make sure that’s really true. thanks aola!
Hiya! I’ve changed a few more incandescents to CFL’s, I’ve consolidated more road trips, DH has garden seedlings starting in the basement, I’ve not chased away the mama sparrow that’s nesting for the first time in our old, unsalvageable grill…I was gonna convert it to an artsy “flower pot,” but that will wait! Birdies need homes too! I’m eating more veggies too. Thanks Rachelle! BTW, how’s the head? Hope you’re well along the mending path!!! –K
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