This year we enrolled the boys in a new charter school. It is over 2 miles from home and a VERY challenging commute - all downhill to school, all uphill home. It's the kind of hill that cyclists in Lycra who ride carbon bikes flock to for the challenge. No one thought this was a viable bike commute, at least not with children. It's too hot, they said. That hill is too steep, they said. Your younger child is only six, they said. My kids would never do that, they said.
We've made it most days and it sure has been freeing! Further bolstering my decision was a giant neighborhood squabble on the Nextdoor app. There was outrage over parents parking all over the neighborhood, blocking driveways and driving erratically. It got all sorts of nasty, so I finally chimed in. Since there are just too many cars and no place to park them, I encouraged those parents who head home after dropping off/picking up kids to bike with their kids. (I totally kept it from being preachy. I was going for a you-want-what-I-got approach.) I told them I meet lovely people, get exercise, and best of all, I'm not angry. I nudged then into getting a commuter with a shiny new bell and a basket. And then I said they must come to dinner at my house so we can chat all about it. The next day people were honking and waving and yelling, "Go, Leah!" on the way to school. Since I was practically the only biking mom out there, I was recognized easily. Pedestrians stopped me and said, "You must be Leah!" I made a plethora of friends overnight. Now I ring my bell and wave and yell "Good morning!" and people love it. Best of all, I now see several parents on bikes dropping off and picking up with kids at school. What a welcome sight! I put one photo here, but check out the other recent ones in the album. Pictures proved you can change your collective attitude, one bike at a time. Also, please notice my bicycle necklace because it's DARLING. https://flic.kr/p/y7fnUF -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
