Wednesday, October 11

Without Cars

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So many people in my area where I live here in Mexico don´t have cars, never have. I get to thinking about what that means and how it changes my life from theirs. It is simpler in that it requires a simple routine. Choices narrow down. Life must be lead less spread out. No major expense of it either, the freedom from the responsibility of a car. The bus to the last stop then walk. One can only carry so much groceries when they walk. These people walk past my house, I´m beyond the bus stop too, with my cars. There is no sidewalks, just a dirt road so everyone picks the easiest route between holes and rocks while the cars and trucks dodge them. I´m on a very steep long hill. Lots of traffic comes by too, they have to drive to the top of the hill to drive down the other streets as they are too steep and rocky to drive upwards on. My street is the best for that, paved almost to my house. No cars, no payments and they are walking to houses they own. They may not be finished and they might be crude but it is theirs. Sometimes modern man gets so stretched out in his needs and making life comfortable and good for himself that he looses it. Like he is always chasing it, while I see simpler people so very happy, content, and in place. One cannot help but wonder what all this drive to get ahead and more is about. Eat what you can carry home and most of your money for food. Base your entertainment around the life of your house. All those needs cut out. I watch these people walking, laughing, talking, smiling, you can tell by the way they carry themselves, they feel good about life. The further you go into being modern the more complicated it gets and the more responsibility. Simple looks in balance and very good indeed.

5 comments:

Frank Partisan said...

When I was in Lima, Peru, I would walk several blocks, and not see an auto. It brought some tranquility. There were several buses and taxis.

I posted on my blog, the continuation of the Further Left discussion of fascism.

troutsky said...

You hit the nail on the head talking about balance, balancing our desire for comfort and convenience with an appreciation for lifes simple pleasures.Sometimes we don't realize what we are sacrificing when we buy into these new technologies. It was a utopian vision of technological "progress" that has turned out so terribly wrong, with people having less time to enjoy. On the other hand ,no one wants to return to the daily struggle for survival that was pre-modern existence.Once again, balance.

Ché Bob said...

When I lived in Galicia I remember that amount of walking I did and I definitely miss it. The city where I live is so spread out--as most are most western cities--it's near impossible to get anywhere walking. Here it's about bikes now.

I also agree with you about modern man's notions about technology. Especially the flawed notion we have that new technologies will save us time. It just doesn't happen that way.

Rancho Perros Bravos said...

Renegade Eye,

It always seems to feel better when life moves slower.

The discussion on fascism was an interesting one, I am glad to hear you have it continued, I will read it.

troutsky,

That balance between modern and what once was is a hard one. One must go backwards and forwards at the same time. What impact you have on your environment is a very important one for taking responsibility on how you treat the world. There is no easy path, no pre-cut plan for this, it is a discovery how to fit in correctly.

Ché Bob,

I like bikes, but I like walking best, so free feeling. Everything seems in such a rush in the big cities and their surroundings. Even with your eyes closed you can feel it in the atmosphere, tight and tense. That really detracts from life.

Atanu Bandyopadhyay said...

I agree there Trostky. It is incorrect to say that everything about the old world was better than everything today; there was indeed a daily struggle for survival which we have less off. Such an insight is especially necessary for environmentalists and others who would rather go back to living as neanderthals; they don't realise that were they to do so, they would hurry back to this world the next moment. Despite all the mess we have today, there is no doubt we are far better off than the middle ages.