I am discovering that being unemployed is a grieving process. Quite simply I am grieving the loss of a job. I've gone through shock, anger, and now am in a reflective space. No, I don't mean in a 3M-tape-on-your-bike reflective. But I've found a quieter, rippling, lapping alcove of life, off to the side of the rushing current of commuting and daily jam-packed living. A space has opened up for me.
So what now? What to do with this space? Forgive my car analogies in a so-called cycling blog. But when a space opens up for us, do we try and ram our Hummer H1 into a space that's too small? Do we zip in with our Miatta, blind to any others who may have signaled first? Do we assume it's handicapped and don't bother checking it out? Perhaps we were done shopping and didn't need the space. Or, do we size it up, and steadily guide our way into it with nary a door ding? Or, finally, are we the self-important asshat that parks diagonal, taking up two-and-a-half spaces?
Maybe we ride a bike instead. Now the parking spaces are nearly unlimited, but quite likely undefined. That fence, that could work. But not that parking meter--any petty criminal worth his salt knows to just lift the bike and U-lock straight up and over the top of the meter--gone, daddy gone. Maybe there actually is a purpose-built bike rack. Maybe. They are few and far between even here in the city. The land of opportunity. More likely we've got to create our own space to park the bike, or, even if on the rack, find the best way to secure frame and quick-release tires--be creative; twist our cable lock round about--take that plain Jane rack so generically made and adapt it to suit our needs. What do we do with the space before us, or do we even see it?
So what now? What to do with this space? Forgive my car analogies in a so-called cycling blog. But when a space opens up for us, do we try and ram our Hummer H1 into a space that's too small? Do we zip in with our Miatta, blind to any others who may have signaled first? Do we assume it's handicapped and don't bother checking it out? Perhaps we were done shopping and didn't need the space. Or, do we size it up, and steadily guide our way into it with nary a door ding? Or, finally, are we the self-important asshat that parks diagonal, taking up two-and-a-half spaces?
Maybe we ride a bike instead. Now the parking spaces are nearly unlimited, but quite likely undefined. That fence, that could work. But not that parking meter--any petty criminal worth his salt knows to just lift the bike and U-lock straight up and over the top of the meter--gone, daddy gone. Maybe there actually is a purpose-built bike rack. Maybe. They are few and far between even here in the city. The land of opportunity. More likely we've got to create our own space to park the bike, or, even if on the rack, find the best way to secure frame and quick-release tires--be creative; twist our cable lock round about--take that plain Jane rack so generically made and adapt it to suit our needs. What do we do with the space before us, or do we even see it?
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