Back in mid-20th Century, folks would walk, take a trolley, maybe drive to the market. Then suburban sprawl took over and the ‘age of the automobile’ arrived. People in the ‘burbs were told they couldn’t go marketing using anything other than a car. It was too far – too much of a hassle – not safe. Using the wizardry of the web, Google Maps and common sense, I’ve discovered that – even in the age of the COVID-19 – it’s easy and safe to use ‘personal power’ to go grocery shopping. All it takes is a willingness to get out of that gasoline powered car, put a couple of saddle bags on a bike (and a bungie or two) and I’m there. A randomly selected sample of Temple Beth El members demonstrated that the median distance from home to the supermarket is less than 2 miles. Supermarkets like Market Basket, Stop & Shop, Whole Foods, Roche Brothers – not corner markets or convenience stores. The difference in time for me is negligible … my one way trip is 2.4 miles. It takes me 6 minutes to drive – 10 minutes to bike. The difference in health and happiness … priceless. And the carbon emissions = ZERO. Try it yourself. You might decide personal power works for you.
