A Contribution

Have you ever seen a little boy or a girl playing with a plastic bicycle? Rarely. What about with plastic cars? All the time.

Have you seen a city in which bicycle tracks are dominant over huge, crowded highways? I don’t think so.

If you were late for work and in a hurry, what means of transportation would you use to get there? Most certainly not your bicycle.

Although aware that the efforts being made around the world to change these unfortunate truths about us are notable, I have to admit that living in a developing country such as Macedonia, I have not seen any particular improvements when it comes to the supposed gradual shift from cars to bicycles. The gravity of the situation we are in is pressing down on us, and I am outraged at the ones who still overlook the pressure nature is putting us under. Unfortunately, they are still the majority; the majority which, either out of ignorance about the problem or pure laziness, is continually making us all lapse into the stalemate that has been holding us all back ever since speed and self-indulgence became more important than practicality and health.

The first step in solving a problem is always admitting the fact that the problem exists. This issue has engraved itself so severely into our lives that it seems many have started taking it for granted. What I think the key advantage humanity has when it comes to resolving it is that this time, we are not fighting something or someone we cannot control. We are our own enemy. We know ourselves considerably well; therefore, each and every single one of us should have a myriad of potential solutions, ways in which we could finally be able to wake up and take a bike to school, to work, to anywhere.

I am an optimist when it comes to achieving a car-free existence because I consider adaptability a key characteristic of human beings. Saying that a world without cars would prove dysfunctional is an illegitimate excuse; civilizations were born without cars, persisted without cars, and flourished without cars. In the equation of urban lifestyles, cars are not the independent variable; they are the dependent one. Their dependence is on us. Choosing to reduce their usage or completely shun them from our lives is as entirely up to us as adapting to the change will be when it actually takes place. I cannot but conclude that it is going to be a pleasant adaptation, for who would not sacrifice their possibly beautiful but such a damaging car in return for a healthier existence?

What we have to do is simple: act quickly and efficiently, for we have an entire mindset to transform. The cause we are dedicating this day to might have already been reality had we started at the very beginning while trying to work for it. The example I gave at the beginning I did not give in vain: we have to start educating our youngest ones if we are to educate the older ones. Why manufacture plastic cars as toys? Why not start teaching our children the advantages of bicycles by simply introducing them in their lives earlier? I am sure that nowadays, the average boy or a girl comes in contact with a car sooner than he or she comes in contact with a bike. Children are easily influenced and take first impressions seriously. Parents might not deem buying their child a miniature car harmful, but do we really want our children to think of cars as the only means of transportation available to them? Next time you want to buy your child a little Mercedes or take them for a ride in one, think twice: it is very probable that you are doing them more harm than good.
Another aspect of this problem we could improve is its presence in our daily lives. This car free day should not be the only day of the year when we pay attention to this on-going issue. I am afraid that this cause has not been receiving its due publicity. No one can increase awareness just by drawing a picture or writing an essay. What we lack is real incentive. Yes, contributions will always be welcome, but they can never become the driving force behind the change that we need. People, on the other hand, can. Success requires publicity, and there are no exceptions to this rule. Essays dealing with this problem should be encouraged not only on a couple of occasions, but also on a daily basis. For what is a better way to make people actually believe the shift from cars to bicycles is possible than putting creativity to good use? The mass media will be more than ready to endorse such a benevolent project. We can give the bicycle-full existence we are striving for a new, more appealing face, thus engaging the interest of the media and consecutively the people. With means of keeping in touch like Facebook and Twitter made available throughout the world, any worthy cause can attract millions, let alone a revolutionary cause like ours. With globalization fashioning common problems into patterns, I am sure we can convince our fellow humans around the world that in this case, the alternative is better than the norm. If we ardently publicize bikes and reveal their benefits, making sure we incorporate creativity in the process, the change that is in store for us is bound to happen more quickly.

There is a very realistic obstacle, however, to achieving our common goal; an obstacle which does not require anything but friendly cooperation if is to be overcome. Bicycles are often expensive, and not all families are well-to-do. What has to be noted here is that they are still cheaper than cars; nevertheless, there still are families which can afford neither. Fortunately, realistic problems have realistic solutions. Since I think lowering the price of bicycles everywhere is a little bit too idealistic, I wonder: Why don’t we offer more bicycles as prizes in competitions rather than cars? We all know how cars are the ultimate prize one can win in an average competition today. We can actually change this, thus giving the not so well-to-do families a chance to win a bicycle. This way, companies can offer these prizes as an incentive to the people who buy their products. It will provide everyone with an excellent opportunity to win something valuable. It will be a gift from the people to the people.

The benefits? I am sure the benefits of using bicycles instead of cars for transportation are both obvious and overwhelming. First of all, we will be ensuring that the next generations are more environmentally aware than ourselves by leaving them a legacy of a healthy existence rather than a legacy of puffed smoke. Second of all, we would improve our own living conditions. Of course, this cannot happen on a local scale, the shift has to occur on a global scale if the consequences are to be visible. Then, we would be cutting back on pollution. We can reduce obesity. Become fitter. Come to appreciate nature as opposed to overlook its beauty as it usually happens when one is within the confinements of four windows. I am sure one can even bond with one’s children better if they bike away into a park together than if they take a ride in the car. The direct and indirect benefits are countless and irrefutable; the key is to realize them and use them well.

It is really up to people who care. People ready to admit the difficulties and face up to the challenge, for it is a challenge that we are facing. This cause is not to be propagated by a single leader like it has often been the case in history; this cause is about individuality, about finding one’s unique way of contributing yet doing it thoroughly. It’s about knowing the difference between what is easy and what is right. But most of all, it is about defeating what we have become, a nation of car lovers, and becoming yet again what we seem to have long ago defeated.