It probably tells you something about how long I’ve been a full-time bike commuter when I tell you that I was surprised to read in the Oregonian that “commuters can experience greater stress than fighter pilots going into battle.” They even cite a study showing that drivers stuck in traffic jams have triple the risk of suffering a heart attack than others.
I’m sure most of those ‘fighter pilot’ car commuters may not believe me, but you will: my commute is often the best part of my day. I’m not saying that there are never moments that upset or annoy me (“the lower deck of the Steel Bridge is up again?!?”), but generally I love how my bike ride helps me transition — literally and emotionally — between the quiet sleepiness of the morning and the busy, active day.
Yesterday I saw a friend and had the chance to catch up as we biked together for a while. The other day I met a guy on my ride home who was didn’t know about the BTA (yes, Virginia, there are still cyclists in town who don’t know us…yet), but by the end of our ride he said he’d be excited to volunteer. Before Christmas, my commute home saw me playing Santa Claus, schlepping presents home that my family had sent.
Best of all, for a city dweller it’s my main connection to the “real” natural world. It would be so easy to go from house to car to work to car to house, always stuck inside. My commute is a way for me to get outside and get grounded. This time of year I enjoy feeling the days getting longer. In the spring I see and smell the cherry trees bloom (luckily for me I don’t get allergies). There’s nothing more delicious than a summer night’s bike ride through quiet Portland neighborhoods. And every fall I get to re-learn that the rain really isn’t that bad.
My biking commute perks me up when I’m in the dumps, and calms me down when I’m upset. It’s my exercise, fun and meditation all wrapped, or rather rolled, into one. I feel sorry for all those unhappy people stuck in their cars, their hearts ready to burst. I hope they’ll try biking sometime and see just how sweet it is.
