My Big Fat Greek Commute

Almost every morning my daughter and I prepare for our day. We eat breakfast, get dressed and brush our teeth (which seems banal, but YOU try instilling good dental hygiene in a squirming 2 year old who would rather be tickling Elmo).

Once we're out the door, most days she climbs into her bike trailer with her backpack and I load up my panniers with lap top, lunch bag, and yoga mat. This requires a Big bike with rather fat pouches on the sides. Helmets on for both of us, and we're off!

The other Big thing about our commute is the hill I ride towing my 32 lb daughter and all our gear. "I think I can, I think I can," runs through my head as the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge whistle echos over the town, my daughter "choo-chooing" from her trailer, and our vantage increasing as we climb up Cemetery Road hill...

I improve my health every time we ride, staving off weight gain (the Fat part of the commute). There are even employee tax incentives available to those who commute by bike for employers to encourage health in the workplace!

Stay with me now, because here is the Greek part of this commute:

Greeks invented the gear, screws, and chain drive that make it possible for modern engineers to create great bicycles. They also invented the concept of paved streets with gutters and alarm clocks- vital parts of my Big Fat Greek Commute.

Aeschylus, a Greek playwrite, first used the word "philanthropy" to describe his character Prometheus as "loving humanity". The most conventional modern definition of philanthropy is "private initiatives, for public good, focusing on quality of life". I can't imagine a better way to focus on quality of life for my daughter and I then riding our bike to school/work (except maybe donating to 4CORE). Each day we ride, we prevent air pollution from my car, which is something I think about more and more now that we've reached 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a scary concentration milestone not seen on the earth for millions of years.

4CORE wants to hear about YOUR commute too! Is it more of a small, skinny, German variety? Leave us a comment below!

About the Author

Teresa Shishim, Program Manager at 4CORE, is a Colorado native who is dedicated to improving where we live through collaboration (and commuting by bike!). She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science at Western Washington University and has significant experience managing and coordinating projects and programs, including marketing campaigns, volunteer programs, and events. Teresa, her husband and daughter enjoy the "bike culture" of Durango and hope to make it to Greece someday.