Carless in LA.

Sound like an oxymoron?

I’m going on a week now of having no car. Don’t think I’m a third-class Angelino who has to ride the bus or take the MetroLink. I miss my baby!!! I’ll get it back tomorrow, fixed and shiny like (almost) new. I’d be lying though if I said though that in some way, in some weird way, I haven’t missed my car at all. I can say that because it’s only been 6 or 7 days. If it were more permanent I would feel differently. In the time it’s been away however I’ve walked a whole lot more around my house and around my neighborhood (a very good thing), to the store, to work, to the bank, to the post office, to Wahoo’s and to Blockbuster. I’m pretty good about consistently exercising so I don’t need to get out and exercise more, but the extra miles on my Reefs can’t be a bad thing. Fresh air feels good. the sounds of other cars, trucks, ambulances, bicycles, rollerblades (streetsounds) that you can only hear when you’re out of the driver seat and paying attention to what goes on around you rather than yacking on your mobile phone.

Honestly? It felt liberating. It shouldn’t take having to be away from my car, or the phone, or computer to rediscover life in its more natural, organic state. We attach so many gadgets and modern technologies to make our lives more convenient, more productive, more efficient and no doubt they are, but I’ve found it refreshing the past few days to be without.

Try going without your cel phone for a day. Don’t turn on your computer and log onto the internet. Just for one day. Only when we can do without for short periods of time, do we appreciate what we have when we do. We become owners again of our tools and our toys, of our lives and not slaves to them. Next time you have a quick errand to run nearby your house or work, leave your car parked in the garage. Walk, rollerblade, ride your bicycle. You won ‘t regret it.