What does The MinusCar Project have to do with abortion, gay marriage, wiretapping and torture?
Somewhere close to 18 months ago it became clear to me that if I wanted the scenery around me to change (and I desperately needed it to change at that point), it was my responsibility to change it.
A few months after that The Owner passed on to me one of the greatest lessons I may ever learn. He presented me a theory that every group of people has at least one of every kind of person in it. If this is true certain things can be deduced. For example: when I look around a group for a cool person and there isn’t one, I am the cool person in the group.
When something needs to be said, and there is nobody in the group who will say it…
When something needs to be done, and there is nobody in the group who will do it…
18 months ago I discovered that not doing anything and not saying anything was no longer going to work for me. I took a baby step: a blog for saying things, and a commitment to a bicycle for doing things. The MinusCar Project does not exist in a vacuum and some people close to me might be hoping I don’t fall down the stairs.
Doing things and saying things is risky. What if I do the wrong thing? What if I say the wrong thing? I’ll be uncomfortable.
Comfort.
Nothing has devastated the environment more than my need to be comfortable. Nothing has devastated my relationship with the 2/3’s world more than my need to be comfortable. Nothing has allowed my government more free reign than my need to be comfortable. Nothing cheapens my relationships with my wife, my The Boys or my friends more than my need to be comfortable. Nothing has done more damage to my body and my health than my need to be comfortable. Shall I go on?
Nothing has diminished my relationship with my God more than my need to be comfortable.
Tomorrow I will ride to work, possibly in the snow, some people will percieve this as discomfort.
I will not listen to a man in a pulpit in a church in my community encourage adoption as a way to steal babies from homosexuals and not say or do anything.
The scenery is changing.
Being uncomfortable has it's benefits. Sunday morning I talked with a woman who described to me her adventures in riding to work. A few years ago she was run over by a pickup and sustained internal organ damage. She continues to ride to work. She takes encouragement from this blog. I take encouragement from her. Discomfort might be worth it.
9 comments:
Striving for discomfort ...
It's a simple idea, and yet so profound in its ability to change everything around us.
I will say or do what I believe needs to be said or done. And, per our discussion Saturday night, political correctness probably won't be part of how I say it or do it. I will ride to work today as well, snow or not. I'm sort of hoping for snow. People will not believe ("I can't believe you rode in this!") I rode. And, because I did, it is they who will be uncomfortable. I get a kick out of causing this sort of discomfort in others.
Wonderful post! I'm glad it snowed there before here... so how do you not crash on icy roads? I'm striving for discomfort, but would rather not kill myself.
Comfortable=Complacent
(Light bulb brightens above my head)
Now I get it. I've been struggling to figure out why most people don't get in an uproar over what's going on in this country until it starts hitting them in the pocket book. Thanks for enlightening me. Also thanks for motivating me to ride to work more and looking for a job closer to home so I will bike in winter more. Keep up the discomfort.
Dan in Des Moines
Jill - thank you and nice blog - tasty pictures...mmmm, Alaska!
Snakebite: - thank you for being part of the changing scenery - and for proving The Project isn't in a vacuum.
SansAuto - you'll be hearing from my lawyers about the name. Just kidding. I only have one lawyer.
As for ice - skillz. And studded tires. And who says I don't crash?
I intend to do a gear post sometime this week, after a head, hands and feet post. I'm late.
BTW it didn't snow much today, but perhaps 1/2 inch tonight. I was uncomfortable today for sure, brrrr.
Dan in DM - is that lightbulb over your head a compact flourescent? Seriously, thanks for the note. It's so awesome to hear stuff like that.
Confucius say...
Great post.
I appreciate you.
Woodog
beautiful
vive la discomforte!
Great post.
Hain't we got all the fools in town on our side? And ain't that a big enough majority in any town?
-The Duke, from "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"
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