With my side job, as the Golden Active Transport Coordinator. I just realised that i have the power to change peoples lives. That is huge. I am totally scared by the possibility, and thrilled by it at the same time. I can do many things that will impact everyone from Children to adults and seniors.
Changing the way that people move around the town is no small feat. However i was just looking over some notes from a meeting that i recently had, and am very excited for the future of the kids and adults in Golden. Things are starting to change, slowly but change is coming.
Things are moving along nicely now. The sun is shining and im happy. I hope the winter keeps going with this balmy -10 to +10 weather. I love it. I would like a bit more freshness on the hill, but beggars can’t be choosers. On the Home front, we now have 2 new family members. They are guinea pigs, super cute and the Lady wanted them really bad for the last year, so i caved for her birthday. Super happy, she just stares at them now, instead of me. Which im not sure about. Hopefully it is a passing phase.
Apart from that, everything is going well. I am busy with work and work and work. I am getting offers to do more teaching and stuff like that. Also my active transport stuff is starting to gather pace. Hopefully we can get some changes in place by the summer. That would be super awesome!
If i haven’t included it before the link is http://goldenactivetransport.blogspot.com
So it has been a while. I have been super busy with life. Working my 2-3 jobs, relaxing with my lady. Travelling around Canada and the Globe, it takes its toll on you. I am a second time uncle again, to another little boy. I think i am expecting a little girl soon, from my other sister, which should be super cool. Who knows one of these days i might even gain the balls to ask as well. Time will tell.
I have a super cool new job, well it is only part time or casual but still super cool. It is a job designed to increase peoples use of there bodies, yup active transportation. So it means getting people out of cars and onto foot and bike and any other means. Anything but using the car, it is really interesting and i am looking forward to the challenges that it provides to me. I am planning on having a meeting with my boss and see where she wants me to go. If it is an open slather kind of job, then i will have my work cut out for me. If i have to play a roll in getting people out of cars, that would also be awesome. I would love to see more people out of there trucks and walking and biking. The winter so far has been very mild and it is great to see the number of people we already have. I would like to have more.
Apart from that exciting news, not much more has managed to happen here. Life is moving along quite nicely. I can’t wait for summer and spring to really start cause then we can start growing veggies and stuff. Yum!
Also i have done some admin stuff on the site, so now it is optimised for mobile devices as well. Sweet stuff!
Well i told you how i was moving? I made my mind up and was happy with the decision. Then i got an email
“Hi Luke,
The Community Foundation is nearing their Annual General Meeting in April where some Board Members will be completing their 2 year terms. As you are very community-minded, I thought that you would be a great fit with the Foundation. Have you ever thought about joining? The time commitment is one meeting per month.
There are also opportunities to sit on the following Advisory Committees, whether you’re on the Board or not:
1. Management
2. Marketing & Communications
3. Youth
4. Grants
Let me know if you’re interested and we can talk more.”
I know what your thinking. Holy shit! That is awesome. Congratulations! Yeah, that is what i thought. Then i remembered that i am moving. So it turns from a holy shit to a holy fuck! Why!! Why!!
I do still want to move though. So i am going to turn down the opportunity and move. It sucks balls that this is happening now, but hopefully i can get on a board when i am all settled down in some place. Who knows what that place is though, only time will tell.
Well i have made it in Golden, I am a published critic of the paper. That is right, i got a letter published in the paper. I wrote a letter to the editor, and it got published. How about that. It was in response to this article. So i was disccused at that article. So i got replied and stated my opinion, and it got published. I’m laughing and honoured that they did that. So go and discuss it. It is all in the stimulus of getting Active Transportation into the press and out into the open more.
I went to an active transportation forum tonight. Seeing that i can’t sleep and am excited about it, i thought that i would write about what i know and learnt tonight. So what is active transportation? Well it is basically anything that uses the body for motion, walking, riding, skateboarding, roller blading, wheelchairs etc.
The idea is to create communities that can use these functions much more easily and thus rely less on the cost and associated problems related with car usage. It’s not about saying that cars are bad, boo cars. It is about saying, hey this lifestyle that i lead is unhealthy. I should be getting at least 30 mins of exercise a day but I’m only getting 2 mins. I need to do something about that. It is about making us less reliant on oil and more healthy and dependable on ourselves. I like the idea, it sure makes me think that it can be done, not only that, it must be done. The example was errands, how many times have your driven to the shops, only a few blocks away instead of riding, or walking? Sure it was convenient but how much CO2 did you put out into the environment, to save you that 10 mins?
The average American walks 800 metres a day!
That is a stunning and shameful fact, Canada is not far off. So i am very interested in seeing how much I can do in Golden to change attitudes and regulations. What can be done to make this situation change? How can things in Golden change?
Studies were put forward stating that if nothing it done about this that the cost of helping all the people that are obese in relation to BMI (Body Mass Index) the health system is going to crash, along with everything else. It is not a matter of if’s it is a matter of whens.
Children need 90 mins of activity every day, yet somehow they don’t get it. Instead they get over 5 hours of TV a day. How does this add up? It doesn’t it just makes me wonder and resolvant to make sure my kids are fit and healthy regardless of where they live.
It does sound like a lot of dooms and glooms, but in reality, its the truth. The investment now is really a long life investment for the future. North America is 20-30 years behind Europe. There is lots more going on there about biking and active transport than is even being considered here.
To finish up i am giving you some links about Active Transportation, so you can see just how important and relevant it is today and in the future.
Active Transportation dot org
Public Health Canada
Travelsmart
Well on Tuesday the 26th August, 2008 at 6.45am. The most significant person in my life (second to my parents) to date walked out my front door, and drove 8 hours away to Victoria, British Columbia. It was a sad day, even now, i get a little teary to know that it will be a while before i see her again. I have enjoyed spending the last year with her. Even if at times it was fucked up and weird. We both learnt lots about us, ourselves and each other. I wouldn’t change anything currently (except maybe for the 8hrs away). We both know that this is the right thing to do, for her. It is tough being here, but im excited about business ideas that are coming to a head and also about what the future holds for me. It is really an exciting time for both of us.
I wanted to keep this short. I also wanted her to know that i’m thinking of her.
Well i may say i had a great weekend in Calgary. One of one 2 such occasions. Bike polo was the reason this time. It was the most fun i have had on 2 wheels in a long time. OMG, if you own a bike this is next thing you need to try. If you don’t then you need to try it. It is the best thing on 2 wheels!!!!
So if you dont know what bike polo is, search it on Youtube, and you will find something. The centre of the bike polo universe is well, anywhere you damn well want. check out Bikepolo.ca for links to other groups of people that are into it as much as you should be!
So the tournament as a double elimination type game. Meaning that you needed to lose 2 times before you were out of the comp. 3 on 3. body on body, mallet on mallet, bike on bike. Drop a foot and you have to tape out at centre. On a hockey court it is quite a large amount of time to do that. Those guys in calgary know how to move a bike around the court, geez they can move. I was skidding around the place trying to stop the ball.
Got in there a few times, need to work on my accuracy though. I missed a few easy shots, which could have put us up a few goals. Meaning that we could have had some more games, oh well. accuracy will come later on.
I am really happy that bike polo is around. It is soo much fun, i just wish that everyone else could experience it. If your in Golden, come out to the BBall courts on Sundays and Wednesdays.
I just thought of a statement or saying that i like. You can say it to your girlfriend, wife, lady friend or anyone that you love. It is…
More to hold. More to squeeze. More to love.
Coming thru… i did my first Mac install today. It was as easy a tick, ok, password, done. Can not get much easier than that. It took longer to setup the PC that it took to do the sharing. I love it, it is sooo simple. God bless Mac, and may you all one day experience the richness and fullness of its goodness.
Amen
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