Yes, the original motivation of my book & blog is to provide guidance for fellow humans seeking to lower their eco footprint.
And, I myself am a staunch eco activist. However, the DEEP GREEN truth is that most of my choices are not motivated solely — or even primarily — by environmental concerns.
The fact is that I consider foot, bicycle, and bus, and train to be BY FAR the best modes of transportation, superior to the private automobile for numerous reasons!!
Less expensive, less risky, less brittle, more social, and better for physical and mental health.
On a personal note, public transportation made it possible for an Internet friend and me to meet up in person.
I immensely enjoyed walking over the bridge on a beautiful day to the main Votran transit station to meet up with fellow activist Jennifer H., who had traversed the county by bus to come do an errand in this area. And just like that, an Internet friend becomes a face-to-face friend too!!
Walking really is transportation, exercise, and internal medicine for me.
The various components of my day yesterday were beautifully stitched together by foot transport. Some writing and landscaping tasks in the morning, then walking to meet up with my friend at the bus station.
Then walking onward to meet up with a close friend for lunch. (And then we drove together in his car to while away the afternoon in one of our favorite pubs. Note, my pal doesn’t drink alcohol, so no drinking and driving was involved.)
And then later in the afternoon, walking to an opening reception for a chiropractor who shares office space with my primary-care practitioner, and then to local government Planning Board meeting to participate in the process of deciding things about our city. And then the beautiful walk home over the bridge with the almost-full moon overhead.
Fun fact: the chiropractor and my primary-care practitioner, and the therapist who shares office spaces with them, were first connected via our vibrant Daytona Beach chapter of 1 Million Cups.
Reflecting on yesterday, and what a typical day it was in many ways for me, I am really struck by how much of a difference spending significant amounts of time outside of a car has made in my capacity to make social connections and see things happening around my community.