With gas prices on the rise and a continued awareness of the harmful effects of a car on the environment, I've made more attempts to use my bike for errands with the kids. So far, it's been a rousing failure.
Our first attempt was a couple of months ago in the early warmth of May. Anticipating a refreshing bike ride in sun and light breeze, I asked my husband to hook up the bike trailer to my bike so I could take our three children to the local library. He looked a little skeptical at my request because that would mean hauling our 4 1/2 and 3 year old in the trailer and putting our 19-month-old in the baby seat. However, he gamely complied, though not without joking that he also hitched up the wagon and lawn mower to my bike as well.
Undaunted, I got the kids into their seats and tested out "invisible footprint" minivan. It worked! Feeling pretty good about myself, I biked us all to the library. No problem at all.
The kids enjoyed their time playing in the children's section while I selected six books to take home instead of the usual eight (it was becoming difficult to keep track of all the books). Before heading home, they burned off some more energy at the playground which was just next door. We were still in good shape and right on schedule for getting home in time for lunch.
As I pulled into the driveway, I was elated with how well the bike trip had worked out - now I had a way to get all of us to local places without using the car! Then an inconvenient truthy presented itself...While getting the kids and the books out of the trailer, I counted only five of the original six books. I counted again. And then again. Yes, five books when there should have been six. So I looked in the trailer, around the trailer, in the backpack praying that sixth book would materialize.
When it stayed missing, I asked my oldest child if she knew what happened. "Oh, Reesie threw it out of the trailer," she matter-of-factly replied. In disbelief, I asked my daughter and then my son, the book tosser, the same question several times. Each time came the same answer.
What was an eco-conscious mom to do now? Desperately looking at my clock, feeling low on energy and patience, I did the only thing I could - I loaded the kids into the car and retraced our route. As I scanned the sidewalks in vain, I imagined the disapproving looks on the librarians faces when I confessed we lost a book because my son tossed it from the bike trailer. I ended up going all the way back to the library without seeing it. I began to pray some good hearted citizen had already found and returned it. Halfway back I saw it and was flooded with relief as I picked it up and dusted it off, greeting it as a long-lost friend instead of a temporarily misplaced loaner.
Of course, I can't help but see the humor in this situation...cancelling out the good of the bike ride by driving all the way to the library, getting less books to make them easier to locate only to lose one, children who live the philosphy, "easy come, easy go." God must have had a good chuckle that day - my husband certainly did. I admit I did too.
Have your attempts to become more eco-conscious fallen short of your goal? Share your stories in the comment section.
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