Day 31: The end is near

In the beginning, when I thought giving up my car might turn out to be me waxing poetic about shaking this motorized monkey off my back, I worried I'd lack enough funny stories to write a full story.

Now I'm wondering what story best illustrates the frustrations of not driving in a world of asphalt and traffic lights. And not to be too down on this experiment, I also hope to convey how enlightening portions of this trial have been and how deeply they've impacted my life.

As I get into the car today, to go to the bookstore, I'll feel a little guilty that I couldn't make it work better. But as I head home, my husband on this way to work, I'll tell that Orange H bus driver that I don't need a transfer and read Carolyn a story.

I can't return to a time when cars were a choice, at least in Normal. But I can do a lot with less, and that's not only the start of a great story, it's a gift.

I'll post again after the Grist story appears and then I might begin writing about other ways I try to do my part in helping the planet.

As Given Harper, a professor at Illinois Wesleyan U. and leader of the school's green team, told me a few weeks ago, "You can't change the world. You can only change the world around you."