A Card, A Joke and a Date With Destiny

I know, I know, I told you July would be all about cycling and it’s August now, so you figured it was safe to take a peek at the old blog – well , I lied.  This isn’t about racing; this is about the public’s right to enjoy the simple pleasure of riding a bike without fear.  It’s also about how, as a friend recently put it, “a joke went bad in a good way.”

I work for 3 municipalities. The nature of the fitness business is very transient, so instructors and trainers tend to work in many facilities. It’s nomadic but we like it that way, at least I do. At one municipality in particular, there is an excellent relationship between City Hall and the Recreation Complex and many staffers from “the hall” use the rec facility (you’d be surprised by how uncommon that is).  The CAO for the City was a regular in my 6:30 am spin classes before he was promoted to the post and for a bit afterward, but then work and life got in the way. He has a great sense of humour and the best intentions so I felt comfortable giving him a little nudge to get him back on track, but how to say “get your butt in gear” in just the right way? So, I bought a sympathy card, wrote “so sorry to hear about the loss of your motivation. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help during this difficult time”, signed it and stealthily left it on his desk while he was out. A week went by and I heard nothing. I was a little disappointed (and a little nervous). Midweek the following week he hunted me down, promised to be in class Friday and asked how things were. This question led to a conversation about the slowness of the industry in summer, cycling in the region and the problems therein. I was given a business card. I sent an email enquiring about bike to work week. He put me in touch with the Sustainability Program office at city hall. I met with an enthusiastic and thoughtful woman who matched my passion and my optimism. Our discussion went from “bike to work week” to a bike friendly region and that progressed to her suggestion that I be introduced to the staff in Clean Air Initiative at the Regional level. The wheels started turning (pun unapologetically intended) in my mind. I knew I needed feedback from the community, so I created a “group” on facebook for people to voice concerns, comments and suggestions for improvement. I invited friends and crossed my fingers. Within 13 hours on a July long weekend my little group had 44 members, friends jumping in and offering me their expertise and services and the cycling community in Durham began approaching me with offers to help in any way they could. I am still overwhelmed at how fast things are moving and how many people are willing to help a stranger in a cause they have already exhausted themselves fighting for and I am absolutely ecstatic, grateful, hopeful and every positive emotional offshoot!

I am fully aware that change is a long, slow and very hard process, but someone has to start it, why not me? I may not be the one to finish it, it may not even come to fruition, but I’d rather tilt at windmills than sit on the couch and whine.

Follow our quixotic efforts on facebook  http://www.facebook.com/groups/265156826833494/ and twitter http://twitter.com/#!/CycleDurham or send an email to cycledurham@yahoo.ca