Supershopper Louise at the store dinner last night helped me make up my mind. She is seventy and lives with serious health troubles. But not only does she buy a ton of stuff almost every shift, she also loads it onto her walker and wheels it home down two alleys. The street dealers across the street know her and help her over the curb at their end.
Would you want an electric scooter wheelchair, I asked her at dinner, to carry all your stuff?
She scowled. “I’ve been offered those for free and I said NO! When I wake up, if my legs work, I go out. If they don’t work, I wait till they do. If I had a wheelchair I’d never use them.”
That’s exactly what I’d do with an e-bike, I can tell—always take the easiest option. Already on it I’ve gone farther afield than normal—but NOT farther than I could go on my own pedal power (but more slowly).
It’d be a deal with the devil. I’m pretty lazy, physically, and this ebike would whittle away what little get-up-and-go I’ve got.
I have still got some though! Today, a day off, I’m tootling around on my me-bike. We went to check out a new indie bookstore, Comma—closed on Monday as it turns out, but I could see inside well enough. Here’s my bike outside Comma. Many years ago (25?) bink found it in some bushes (stolen and dumped?) and rode it for many years before passing it on to me. (Thanks, bink!) It’s time it got a name, now I am newly recommitted to and grateful to it. Will think on that. (The girlettes might have ideas…)
I biked on and am now sitting outside a bbq restaurant eating rib tips with a pint of beer.
Motivation for moving myself myself: more snacks!
