My Environmental Footprint

It's all relative...compared to who or what? I invested fifteen years in living lightly, close to the earth with so much conscious thought about my detrimental impacts on the planet and my fellow humans. My gardens were lush and complicated, I refused to own an automobile, a television or a phone for fifteen years. I didn't want to support the evil corporates...I didn't want to inflict pain on my neighbors. (My mother would have appreciated a phone number, however.) Well, look at me now...decades later, I own two motor vehicles, I finance three phones and a TV. Now that I've owned and operated a bike shop and quiet mountain sports store for nearly thirty years I must say, I have contributed to the impacts that the People's Republic of China have had on the planet with their coal-fired manufacturing to an embarrassing degree. We whole heartedly encourage our friends and neighbors to use the 6,000 bicycles and 600 kayaks we've put into circulation here in Northern California...more stuff and very little of it Organic or recyclable. So, my impacts have added up to...embarrassing. Now, here in my 70's I am attempting to get "out of the loop"...The Bodfish Bicycles and Quiet Mountain Sports establishment is for sale and I cancelled my DishTV contract. I am hoping to bow-out of the super consumptive American lifestyle gracefully and relatively quickly. Not completely, I'll still own several bicycles and a handful of plastic kayaks and I'm holding on to my Ford Transit(High Roof) travel van. I am, afterall, a spoiled American boy.

Passionate About Cycling and Health

We've had a few consistent themes over the last 50 years... honesty, healthful living, good humor and bicycling. I'm sure there is more to it than that, but these are at the top of the list. Taking care of each other is another important promise we've lived up to. All of these come easy to us because we've practiced them for so long. We've encouraged these behavoirs amongst our friends, students, customers and the children that we associate with through our teachings and businesses. We are quite certain we've had positive, life-enhancing impacts on those around us, however...we'll never really know how effective our actions have been. The feedback is constant and reinforcing and we don't doubt it's sincerity, but not everyone is paying attention. yes, every once in awhile we run up against someone who is rude or maybe, just clueless. Motorists who skim close to us while honking or hollering...just because we exist and are trying to share space on the road...Well, they are still out there. Our reactions to these callous souls has been rather subdued and not combative. Some desparate folks just go through life with a "Putinesque" chip on their shoulders. Wish us luck and good fortune...we've certainly enjoyed the angels who've looked over us to this point.