What is your big fat excuse?

So what’s the holdup? Are you or are you not riding your bike more as a result of reading this blog? OK, if you’re intimidated by the weather, I discussed the strategy for overcoming that on Tuesday, day before yesterday, which you can apply to yourself. If you have some other reason, such as lacking the necessary functioning body parts or being older than about eighty, you’re excused -- but in that case you have to come up with some other way to reduce your contribution to global warming. Get that darned video I told you about and watch it. Watch it again. Invite friends over and make them watch it too. Make them. Lock the door and don’t let them out till they’ve watched it. (They’ll thank you later.) Buy the book that goes with the film. We got the book for Christmas. It’s full of all kinds of maps, charts and photographs that are both visually compelling as well as powerful and clear in the information they deliver. Very inspiring. Keep the book out in your living room where you can flip through it now and then for ideas.

The only other reason you could be excused is if you had a genuine phobia about riding a bike. A phobia is not like you just “don’t feel like it” or you’re “not used to it.” A phobia is when, if someone tells you to get over it, you know deep in your heart that person doesn’t get it.

I have three phobias, and normally I wouldn’t blurt my personal business all over the blogosphere, but just to make sure you know the difference between a fear and a phobia, I’m going to share my phobias with you here on this blog tomorrow. For the benefit of the public, and in turn, for the benefit of the globe. Then you’ll be able to assess whether you’re coddling frivolous fears, or managing certifiable phobias. And you will therefore be able to avoid falling into the trap of using ordinary, conquerable fears as an excuse for neglecting to act in accordance with the emergency nature of today’s global warming situation.