Who are the carfree Americans and why are they so cool?



Chrissy and her daughter, Hannah

Making a difference?

"This is Bill, he is part of a new carfree movement sweeping the country." Chrissy said as she introduced me to her husband. "He writes about living carfree and how if benefits people." She explained with sincere enthusiasm.

I see Chrissy and her two kids when they bike to the store.

Her husband, less impressed, said, "cool." and went back to his bagel and kids.

She is just one of hundreds of people who I have talked to, bumped into, taken pictures of, written about, or inspired over the last few years by living carfree.

FYI there are more carfree Americans than you think! And yes, they are cool. I will tell you why.

First, you can own a car and be carfree. What? It is true, being carfree can be just a walk or bike ride to the store, or maybe a bus ride to the theater, or maybe a cab ride to get a pizza. Carfree is being in the moment, with out the use of your car. If you are lucky enough to be able to live completely without a car, you are one of the lucky few. Most of you will keep on owning a car throughout your life. Sorry to you hardcore carfree purists, but it is a fact.

So, I say to all you who at some point in your day, or week, can manage to take a carfree trip by foot, bicycle, mass transit (or other-rollerblade, electric bike, skate board, etc) you are cool.
You are making the world a healthier place.

By taking a carfree trip you are promoting:
Physical and mental health
Environmental health
Community health

I learned 11 years ago, without good health you have nothing.
We, as human beings, have a responsibility to stay healthy, keep our home/planet Earth healthy, and live in healthy communities.

Right?

Seriously, let us make this world a better and healthier place. Take the time to try living carfree at some point in your day and reap the benefits.

Loretta Henderson cycling solo...AROUND THE WORLD!

whether you are traveling the world like Loretta Henderson or bicycling to the local grocery store like Chrissy and her kids, Hannah and Cole, you can make a difference.



What is in his future?

 True we do not know how much a difference we are making, but I assure you a difference is being made.

The future:
There is a story I heard years ago about a guy who was jogging on a beach at dawn. As he approached the beach he noticed it was covered with thousand of starfish that had washed up on it from a storm the previous night.


With the sun quickly rising the starfish seemed to be doomed.





See the enormity of the situation the man thought to himself, "I feel bad, but what can I do, I am just one man and there are thousand maybe millions of starfish."

The man still decided to continue with his workout carefully trying not to squish too many of the starfish. In the distance he could see the figure of a person that seemed to running back and forth from the beach to the ocean.

As he got closer he saw a young woman, covered in sand and sweat. She was frantically gathering the starfish and throwing them as far out into the ocean as she could mange. The man could see she was passionately sobbing.

He called out to her, "what are you doing?"

She Yelled back, " I am saving the them! Help me!"

He replied, "There are thousands more, the sun is up, how can you possibly think you will make a difference and save them all?"

The young woman looked him in the eyes with a look of defiance. She reached down and picked up one starfish, and threw it in the ocean.

"Made a difference for that one!"

 The future starts with you...

you,
      we,
           us can make a difference,

but it starts with one.

Peace,

Bill