I am so blessed by my husband. I don’t applaud him enough on here; and I realize how much I take for granted all that he does. He is probably the most serving person I have met. He is always looking for ways to make others feel comfortable, to help them with a problem, to seek out the person in the corner and talk to them. He cares nothing for his own status, appearance, ego. He lives what he preaches–he genuinely loves to serve, love, learn about, and live for God more than anything else in the world. He expects so little–whether it’s dinner or a clean house; he’s content with “scraps” as he calls it (just throw some scraps in a bag for my lunch, he says). He’s just content. And he’s painstakingly devoted to recycling–what a cool guy! So for him I am thankful.
The latest cool thing that my husband does is that he now rides his bike to work. He has a 1/2 time job working at our church (hence the prayers for a full-time job), so he goes in 4 days a week (that adds up to more than 1/2 time in my calculations, but that’s another story). Our second car went kaput in December, so for 6 months we maneuvered jobs and school and life with one car, which was an adventure, but it worked. But for his 30th birthday, generous friends and parents partnered with me to get Jeff his dream–a Marin commuter bike (which was $100 cheaper in June!). Spendy, but not compared to a car! Then, my husband who loves to take trash and turn it into treasure, took a sturdy plastic milk crate, spray painted it matte black to match his bike, then bolted it onto the back of the bike, creating a carrier for his laptop bag and books, extra clothes, and bag lunch. Thus loaded, he pedals the eight miles to work, over the river, up the grueling Coleman hill, and into town. He can do it in about 29 minutes each way. He makes this trip four times a week, which means that he’s riding an average of 64 miles/week! Way to go, Jeff! This also means that we save almost $50 a month on gas. It might not seem like much, but it provides Jeff with awesome exercise, gives me the luxury of having a car to use if I need, and saves a little money at the same time. It’s better for the environment as well, but Jeff’s favorite reason is that it just energizes his day. The 1/2 hour into town gives him a chance to pray, reflect, think, rejoice. Sometimes he listens to sermons on his ipod (with only one earplug in!), sometimes he just thinks and prays. He says that by the time he gets to the office he’s so refreshed and energized, he’s ready for the day. A quick change of clothes, splash of water under the armpits (at least I hope he does that, perhaps I should mention this to him), and an extra layer of deodorant, and he’s good to go!
Jeff laughed when I told him this was our LiveDifferent Challenge because he said it’d be pretty tough for an electrician to practice this, or a mom with kids, or a meter-reader :-)…or a lot of people. I know this isn’t possible for everyone, but my husband’s devotion to ride instead of drive has definitely inspired me and I know perhaps there are creative ways we can cut down on driving and get more exercise instead. Such as:
1. Plan all your errands so you only use your car once a week for running around.
2. Carpool.
3. If you can, ride your bike to work or take the bus. Walk to the grocery store or to the post office.
4. Trade in your gas guzzler for a fuel efficient car.
5. Instead of driving to the gym every day, go running outside or do a workout video or make up a circuit training routine with stairs, jumprope, pushups, crunches, etc. Studies show that those who workout at home are actually far more likely to stick with a fitness routine.
These are just ideas. I know these aren’t possible for everyone, but perhaps you could sit down and evaluate your own circumstances and try to think of 2-3 simple ways that you can drive less and perhaps ride or walk more. For us, necessity is the mother of invention. But no matter what your situation and even if money is no object, it’s always fun to think of creative ways to LiveDifferent, even if they seem so small. So put away those car keys, and let’s ride!