A Creative Lapse?

I feel like posting to my blog has become real work lately. Not that I don't enjoy it...but, that I just don't find myself with tons of things to say. So, I'm often waiting for a topic that sufficiently motivates me to start typing.

It occurred to me, just now, that life has been pretty good lately. Knee hurts, I'm fat, and I'd like to be faster on the bike. But, other than that, I'm feeling pretty content with life. And, as I was thinking on my relative bliss I managed to create a loose association between my relative happiness and my productivity on this blog.

It seems, based purely on conjecture and my own attempts to grasp at some reasoning, that the happier I am the less productive I become on his blog. So, does that mean my creativity or motivation comes from my level of unhappiness?

I'm not speculating that "life is misery" or that without pain I can't be creative or any other cliche' of the indie artiste. I'm just saying that I seem to become less motivated to spew my useless opinion when I'm happy. What's with that?

I generally use this blog as a forum to rant about the weather, rant about my commute to work, rant about bonking on the bike, rant about how frightened I am of Grattan, etc.

Perhaps I should spend more time focusing on the positive things in my life...good rides, good days, good friends...you know, the "feel good" stuff.

I'm beginning to question whether I'm really in touch with my own emotions. Perhaps I need to tap in to my inner-child a bit more. Maybe I need more introspection. Maybe I should start watching Oprah...and try harder not to vomit while she's doing her spiel.

Suddenly, I feel like I need a hug. I mean...can't we all just get along?

I think I'll try to concentrate on the positives a bit more.

Speaking of which...in the editorial section of the Grand Rapids Press today someone had written a letter regarding the recently discovered (the GR Press is a little behind the times) heated topic of driver vs. cyclist relations on our streets. This has been an ongoing topic in the press for the past couple weeks. And, so far, the conversation has remained cordial and only hinted at the real animosity that lies beneath our "friendly disagreement".

Today's letter, though, was interesting in so far as it was the opinion of someone who was willing to generalize ALL cyclists based on her relatively narrow commuting experience. She stated that she didn't have any trouble commuting to work on her bicycle using sidewalks to the whole way. All THREE miles of it. Yes, 3 (three) miles of it...down a lightly traveled street with good sidewalks. After all, she rarely encountered other people on the sidewalk during her epic ride to work. And, by her reckoning, she just couldn't understand why ALL bicyclists didn't just ride on the sidewalk. She also made sure to state that it only made sense to use the sidewalks since it just wasn't practical to expect the government to pay to add additional bike lanes all over the place. Especially since there won't be enough room once the mass transit systems are added.

I read the letter and was immediately perplexed by a few tidbits.

1. Why assume that her side-walked commute was representative of all commutes by bike? Especially when she is covering only 3 miles. Isn't it possible that there are as many different commuting circumstances as there are commuters? Grouping everyone on a bike in to one category seems a bit silly to me.
2. Why assume that a sidewalk is available to everyone? I still wouldn't use it...but, most of my commute doesn't have a sidewalk available to me. Residential streets in West Michigan typically don't feature sidewalks. And, many secondary roads don't have sidewalks either. Many that do have sidewalks are in such a state of disrepair that I wouldn't be willing to risk my life on the cracked and crumbling cement. And, sidewalks are not routinely maintained during the winter months. What sidewalks I can find probably won't accessible once the snow falls.
3. Sidewalks might be acceptable for use by someone traveling 10mph...though I don't think so. But, surely someone who would actually like to get to work in a reasonable amount of time will be travelling faster. My 18-19mph average on the way to work makes using the sidewalk not only impractical but dangerous to myself and others.
4. Why assume that the only alternative to riding on the sidewalk is riding in a designated bike only lane? I don't need or want bike lanes. I'm very content travelling with traffic on a street with a reasonable speed limit (under 40mph) and moderately sized shoulder that affords me the opportunity to create room when cars are passing. I agree...I don't want the government taxing me for bike lanes either. I do want the government to protect cyclists from aggressive drivers through proper policing. And, I'd like the government to hold cyclists accountable for obeying traffic laws through proper policing. For all the complaining I read on various cycling blogs about the insanity of the young "fixxies" (or similar) guys blowing through stop signs, red lights, hopping on sidewalks, circumventing intersections, etc...I have rarely witnessed such behavior. The vast majority of the time I see idiocy on a bike is not done on the part of a "cyclist". It is generally on the part of some schmuck who is pedaling his meijer Mt. Bike at 5 mph the wrong way up a one way street. Or, some 12 year old kid dodging traffic on his bmx bike as he tries to cross the street. There is never a helmet on either person, and I am quite certain that neither of them have any idea that they are supposed to be following traffic laws.

I must admit I was a bit flummoxed when I realized that this half-wit was representing me, a cyclist, to the readership of the Grand Rapids Press. Her views didn't represent my views. In fact, her views were entirely to the contrary of mine. Luckily, with a readership of about...I don't know...8 people, I don't think her opinion was overly exposed to the general public.

Happy, happy, joy, joy. Happy thoughts.

Since I'm trying something new and focusing on the positive in my blog...

I'm positive this person was an idiot. ;-)