Riding the Bus

Recently I was feeling frustrated and upset because I was spending $20 per week just to drive to and from a part-time job. Since I was only making $200 per week at the job, I was spending 10% of my income on commuting, that didn't even include the cost of insurance and maintenance, plus my time and aggravation (I don't enjoy driving).

So I called RTD, the local rapid transit to see about the bus schedule from my home to the workplace. I discovered that I could get door-to-door service, but only two times during the day. Normally I was working four hours per day, five days per week, but if I took the bus, I would be at work for six hours per day. I rolled it around in my mind and came up with a plan: to work six hours per day, Monday through Thursday, and take Fridays off.

The prospect of the new schedule, earning a few extra dollars, having three whole days off, spending far less money on the commute, having more time to work on my writing, made me so excited that I discussed it with the supervisor as soon as I saw him. I explained my situation to him and asked if he would be okay with the new schedule. He said, "Sure, you can start that schedule on Monday."

So, in under five minutes, I solved four problems that had been a struggle for me up until then. I created more time in my life, more money, less pollution, and more productive writing time. After the first week on the new schedule, it's been working out as well as I had hoped. Especially the part about more productive writing time!

Introduction

A few years ago, well, actually I can pin-point the moment exactly. It was approximately 10:00am on September 11, 2001, the way I viewed the world and my place in it began to make a dramatic shift. The event has complex origins and this book isn't about exploring those complex origins. It is simply about recognizing that the United States is dependent upon foreign oil and there are many of us in this country who are tired of being so dependent.

We want our lives back. We want our freedom back. We are tired of being petro-aholics. So, we started looking for solutions and this book contains some of those solutions. If you are frustrated by the rising price of gasoline and everything else (because our economy is also completely dependent upon petroleum), you too might like to begin exploring some possible solutions. Why not start with the ones in this book? Your life may take a dramatic shift, or it may take years of small, subtle adjustments, but whatever happens, we know in our hearts that you will be satisfied with the results if you take the ideas seriously and give them an honest chance.

Here are just a few to spark your interest: Discover the Virtues of Walking, Join A Community Garden....