Three wheeled therapy

Work takes up so much time that what we do becomes tied to who we are. I was conscious of this link. So through the years I did after work activities to make sure "who I was" wasn't just my occupation. Still, when I was let go from my last job, it was like loosing a piece of me. That combined with the need for money made for a stressful experience.

One stress reducing technique I developed was to stop worrying about what I can't control and concentrate on what I can. Since I anticipated a long job hunt, I decided to reduce my expenditures. Reducing my petrol was a natural for me since I had been preparing to live in a post-peak oil economy. So, previous to this crisis, I settled in a walkable town and have a recumbent trike. I've found it's an inexpensive and somewhat convenient way of transporting myself around town.

It took a while to develop my "bikers legs" especially in the hilly terrain I lived in. However, I developed enough stamina to make trips to the grocery store. As you can see with the image, the trike can carry quite a load of groceries! Then I started making trips to the laundromat and other points around town just to see if I could. Here's what the trike looks like now. I've bungee corded a milk crate to the pannier and added some additional reflectors. With the addition of a backpack, it can now transport quite a bit! On flat ground, a comfortable summer cruising speed with cargo seems to be about 15mph.

After a while, I started to notice I was loosing some weight too! What was even better was that I seemed to be loosing it around my gut. It turns out the reclining position of the bike was causing years of subcutaneous fat around my midsection to slowly melt away. I don't know if it's helping with other issues such as cholesterol. All I know is I feel better when I take a daily ride.

For some reason being close to the ground with the bike also makes me a very approachable person. So, on occasion, I'll sometimes stop to chat with someone too. These human interactions, however small, have made all the difference to me in maintaining my quality of life.