Driving to work

By Forrest Halford, Bike BG member

I drove a car to work today. What what what? I can hear you crying out there in blog land. His second entry and he writes about DRIVING?? What’s up with that?

Yes, it’s a beautiful day outside – sunny, clear, 76 degrees – and driving wasn’t what I had in mind. In fact, I hated doing it, hated missing the clear air, the time alone with my thoughts as the road rolls quietly by, the communion that I know as my time going to work. So why?

Well, I only have a couple of choices for my commute into work. My 5 mile commute in begins with a scenic route that winds by the Barren River. I’m often the only traveler other than turkey, cows, red-tailed hawks and other assorted critters. Today it was flooded and not an option.

The only other way in involves taking a narrow road that has 10,000 cars a day traveling at 50+ miles per hour, and today they were not looking at the road, but gawking at floodwaters, putting on makeup, talking on their cellphones and generally doing everything except paying attention.

So I chose safety.

Here’s the point I want to make. Cars are necessary sometimes, but not all the time. I’ve driven to work 5 times this year, and today was one of those days for safety’s sake. However, the floodwaters, they are receding, and tomorrow I hope to be back on the bike and taking in the beauty around me once again.

Until then, ugh.

Forrest