Winter Bike to Work Shirk

Busyness and laziness commingle in this clammy stretch of winter. New Year's resolutions never even fully formed in my mind dissipate into the freezing fog, leaving an indeterminate yen. The dark and cold outside sap my energy; I need more than a concerted effort to haul myself off of the couch. And yet, somehow, most evenings and weekends I find myself away from home, fulfilling some obligation. I am too busy and too lazy to do anything.

Today was Winter Bike to Work Day. Chicago's Active Transportation Alliance hosted a rally from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. Hooray for those cyclists who don't let cold or snow stop them! There were sponsors and freebies!

I didn't go.

I could have gone. And I have decided my excuse is pure laziness.

It's true I didn't know about the event until this morning, and Len has a cold, and this has been a busy week, and we're tired. But if I really wanted to, I could have made it happen. We have balaclavas and winter layers. It's not even super cold today. The ice from two mornings ago is (mostly) gone. The high will be in the 40s! Pink sunlight is on the eastern horizon when we leave the house and lingering in the west when I leave work—and besides, we have bike lights.

We even received reflective ankle cuffs for Christmas this year.

Does the busyness make me lazy? I'm sure of it. I'm also sure that's a me problem, and a solvable one.

The silver lining: Today appears to be just the ATA's annual Winter Bike to Work Day. An International Bike to Work Day is on the horizon (like the slowly expanding daylight hours).

It's Friday, February 9, 2018.

I just clicked "Commit to Ride."

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