I have started to walk to work on some days (about 4 miles, taking about an hour and a half) and actually prefer it in some ways to driving my car, taking the bus or biking. I see more; pennies on the ground that I do pick up, the Downtown Alliance greeters/cleaners who smile and say ‘hello’ and the doorman at the hotel in the Old Arcade on Superior who opens the door for me when I need to use the facilities (my first stop is Gypsy Beans for coffee. More on them later). Some folks were handing out free cereal boxes several mornings in a row. I see friends like Maria jogging and Kathy and Anne Marie biking to work.

Walking is less stressful and is a great way to ease into the workday. I’m fortunate to not have to leave the office during the day, and fortunate that I have a gracious colleague, Bina, who lets me borrow her car if I need to.

I have also started using the bus (surprisingly friendly drivers), and riding my bike. To be honest, biking is a little stressful for me. There are drivers who clearly do not pay attention. I admire those bikers who zip through traffic as if they have every right to, and they do.

Taking the bus to work has been easy, straight shot down Detroit then Superior. A few days ago, though, I took it from work to my foot doctor on Madison in Lakewood. Actually a bus, then the Rapid, then another bus. I have also taken the bus to visit my Mom in Lakewood Hospital farther out on Detroit. At this point, there is no money savings to me by taking the bus; probably costs more. I do save on gas but it’s probably more than offset by the $3 or so a day for bus fare. I still have car payments and insurance. My next goal is to figure out how to use those “Rack and Roll” bike carriers on the front of all the buses.

When I started this green effort, I wondered how it would affect my son Robbie (who lives with me part of the week) and my partner Catherine. Would they be drawn in by default? Last night, Robbie asked me to drive him and a friend to Hollywood Video to rent a game. I said “I’m doing this green thing remember”? Well, in my mind the best possible outcome happened, they rode their bikes.

Last night drove my car to Blossom Music Center. Checked with Blossom, no bus even comes close. Did consider riding my bike and staying at the Stanford Youth Hostel but my biking the nine or so miles from Blossom to Stanford on dark, one-lane country roads did not seem like my cup of green tea. As I said earlier, I am not a purist, but I do believe I can make adjustments to my lifestyle that will significantly reduce my impact on the earth. My new rule is this: If I can get there another way (bike, bus or walk) reasonably, I will. Taking more time, paying a few bucks extra, is reasonable. Putting me in an unsafe situation is not.

“I don’t have the time to take the bus or walk”. This all takes longer than driving my car. But as Barbara Kingsolver explains in her book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”, life is a zero sum game. I could “save” an hour or more by taking my car instead of walking, but that “saved” time gets used on something else anyway. What would I use it on?

And here I am proud of myself for not driving to work when lots and lots of folks take the bus or walk sometimes because that’s what they can afford. Carrying kids and groceries. When it comes down to it, the car is a luxury.