To live free is truly a wonderful thing! We take it for granted and we forget about what it takes to keep us so. That’s a particular shame because people lose their lives in the commission of freedom. Those individuals and their families who make it possible should occupy a high position in our consciousness.
What do we do with our freedoms? All the many aspects of living go under that heading, even the committing of crimes. That’s what freedom means, to be able to do what we choose when we decide. This got me to thinking about our use of the highways, and the reasons we use our cars and bikes. I’m sure there is a real case to be made for overly using the facilities. England is thinking about charging a fee per trip. Should they do that, it will be interesting to note the effect on the consumer.
Lately I haven’t been out much. My petrol bill has been halved as I spend a lot more time in front of my computer. I have to admit that I get the urge to go out, and that usually means by car or motorbike. Why not just go for a walk? That would do me a lot of good, but I prefer to go by car.
I recall the time of my youth back in Bermuda before the car was introduced for public use. Cars appeared on our roads in general circulation in 1947, and it was many years after that before it could be said that they were in “normal” use. During those times people walked. Firstly, everybody kept a garden to grow vegetables. Ours was a family of seven children and two parents, so we had to be self-supporting. We also kept chickens, and on Fridays it was my duty after school to go and bring in the fish for dinner.
Please note that I was not commanded to try, I was told to just do it. I have no recollection of ever having failed. There were no supermarkets in those days, just Mom & Pop grocery stores where we went on Saturdays to get stuff that we couldn’t grow. What an adventure that was! I always looked forward to receiving an apple or orange. It was only after having moved here to Spain did I get in the habit of eating more than one fruit in a single sitting. My son can demolish a kilo or more of mandarins in one go.
Our shopping habits were vastly different back then in the good old days. We shopped once a week in spite of the fact that we did not have a refrigerator. These days food stores remain open 24-hours a day, and there is always someone inside doing their shopping.
So, in the old days we just didn’t move around much. Life was lived in the neighbourhood, and pretty much everything was local. We thought that it was amazing that my father cycled thirteen miles to see my mother. Since then, I have held courtships in other countries.
Recently Valencia held what it called una dia sin coches. That was a day to encourage people not to drive their cars. Instead we were invited to dust off our bicycles and to get around in that manner. I did cooperate by simply doing nothing.
As petrol prices began to climb I started to think carefully about the use of my car. It seems that I was forever going somewhere. Now, I try to combine into one journey several things. For instance, I live in Pedralba which is about 50 kilometros from downtown Valencia. So, if I need to drive into the city I try and save up several things that have to be done along the way. Clearly, if I can use one journey to accomplish many things I am cutting down on costs and fuel.
The peculiar thing about all this is that the CV-35 has now been upgraded and driving along it is such a pleasure as the congestion is a thing of the past. (Hopefully!) However, I do invite you to consider whether the next trip out in your car is really necessary, simply in the interest of reduced fuel and use of space.
Copyright © 2008 Eugene Carmichael
So, in the old days we just didn’t move around much. Life was lived in the neighbourhood, and pretty much everything was local. We thought that it was amazing that my father cycled thirteen miles to see my mother. Since then, I have held courtships in other countries.
Recently Valencia held what it called una dia sin coches. That was a day to encourage people not to drive their cars. Instead we were invited to dust off our bicycles and to get around in that manner. I did cooperate by simply doing nothing.
As petrol prices began to climb I started to think carefully about the use of my car. It seems that I was forever going somewhere. Now, I try to combine into one journey several things. For instance, I live in Pedralba which is about 50 kilometros from downtown Valencia. So, if I need to drive into the city I try and save up several things that have to be done along the way. Clearly, if I can use one journey to accomplish many things I am cutting down on costs and fuel.
The peculiar thing about all this is that the CV-35 has now been upgraded and driving along it is such a pleasure as the congestion is a thing of the past. (Hopefully!) However, I do invite you to consider whether the next trip out in your car is really necessary, simply in the interest of reduced fuel and use of space.
Copyright © 2008 Eugene Carmichael
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