Why, you ask?

I will tell you why.

1. Money. At first, my bus riding was about money. I'd just spent nearly 8 years paying one car loan or another, and I was tired of it. I had other things I wanted to spend my money on. Now, not only do I not have a car payment to make, I don't have to be concerned about the rising cost of gasoline, I don't have to perform regular and costly maintenance fees, I don't have to pay yearly dues to the DMV club of America, and I don't have to pray to God that something doesn't break and force me to pay a mechanic $50 and hour. It's a shallow beginning, but a beginning nonetheless.

2. Fear. I'd just been in a major car accident and had the reality of the dangers involved in driving rather literally shoved down my throat. It made me realize that on a dry sunny morning, after a full night's sleep and no alcohol in more than 48 hours, at a moment when I was merely driving, not messing with the radio or taking a call, I could be involved in a major accident. It made me terrified to think what might happen when one of the millions of other drivers who actually participate in one of those activities were involved in a accident.

3. The Environment. Al Gore says this better than I ever could, although I was doing this before his movie came out. The simple fact is, our environment is disintegrating because we are self-centered individualists who favor convenience over common sense and a little adventure.

4. My Health. Riding the bus involves a great deal more walking in every one of my days than a car driver could ever hope to squish into an hour on the treadmill. My morning bus ride requires me to walk 45 minutes down a mountain to catch my first bus. I get to see bunny rabbits, enjoy the view, work my glutes, and generally commune with nature before most people even hit the snooze button for the first time. When I lived in the city, I got very familiar with the local businesses in my area, which helps support the local economy and small business.

5. My Sanity. Riding the bus forces me to slow down. I don't have a lot of control over how long it will take me to get somewhere, so I have to plan ahead and deal with the time I have. I can sit back and spend a week reading the New York Times Sunday edition. I can work on a short story or my novel. I can simply sit and think. I can watch a movie on my little portable DVD player. The time allows me to be more thoughtful in my reading and writing and overall thought development. I do miss listening to KPBS on the radio, but oh well. Also, for better or worse, I'm basically communing with the people of my world. I find that most people lock themselves into their routine in which they never allow themselves to step out of their comfort zone, and so they never really experience what it is like to live in the melting pot of America, where there are so many amazing cultures, and so very many different types of people to see, hear, and learn from. And you can't believe the languages you can listen to. Movies and books are great teachers, and there are some truely talented directors and even documentarians, but nothing beats experiencing it for yourself, in real time, with real people. You can see that there is no stereotype that will ever describe a real human being. Believe me, it's not always pleasant (as, if you continue to read my blog, you will surely come to appreciate,) but it is always fascinating.

I didn't expect my last reason to be so long, but I realized as I was writing it that above all the others, it is the one that means the most to me. There is no experience in my life so far more real and rewarding as the experiences that began when I left my car behind me.