Exemplary

We all get to be ambassadors for the things we care about. I spent parts of last weekend introducing a friend to cycling in New York City. Slowing down my usual pace, pointing out the sights and the smells, trying to make the angry mash of traffic and pedestrians seem safe and comprehensible - trying to make cycling accessible. My guest, Jenny, was a little nervous at first but not as scared as I had expected - by the end of the weekend she appeared to be truly comfortable and safe in traffic.

I rode with Jenny to Grand Central this morning to see her off. She stopped at one point on 42nd Street in a stretch of the road between the Ford Foundation and the Chrysler Building and with a big smile said, "I can't believe I am doing this!" After putting her on a train and resuming my commute, it occurred to me that I had more firsts than she did over the weekend. I sang songs for her - out loud! While playing guitar! I have been playing guitar for 20 years and have never actually performed for someone like that. It seemed safe, because Jenny, who is a well-trained singer with years of experience, had sung to me and made it seem perfectly natural and maybe even a little silly NOT to sing.

Late at night, lying together on a wool blanket, I read my journal entries from a recent bicycle tour out loud to her - another first for me. You see, she had shown me her blog and some very personal, reflective articles she wrote for a local newspaper - which of course made it safe for me to share my writing.

I am struck by how we can expand the the things we love in this world by sharing them. I doubt my guest would have ridden to Brooklyn if all I had done was explain the directions. Certainly, I would not have sung if she had not done so first. It's a bit like being a religious leader - the effective ones gain followers and converts by example, not by preaching. We can all do the same for the things we value: one more singer, one more writer, one more artist.

We should keep this in mind as we think about ways to grow the community of cyclists, inviting someone for a ride will work better than any leaflet, bumper sticker, or preachy tee shirt - maybe our motto should be One More Cyclist, and not One Less Car.

[A final note - the picture at the top of this post was taken on National Bike to Work Day, May 15th. The groups pictured are fine organizations; I participate in activities of both Times Up! and Transportation Alternatives. Nothing in this post is intended to criticize either entity - I just wanted to use the picture with the "One Less Car" logo].