August 6, 2009
Portage Daily Register
Imagine for a moment how simple, less costly and environmentally friendly your life could be if you got rid of your car and instead used a bicycle.
That’s the life five Chicago residents are living as they use their bicycles this week to travel from their home to Camp Douglas.
The bicyclists stopped briefly in Portage on Wednesday afternoon on the fourth day of the five-day journey.
The five are traveling via bicycle to participate in a three-day Walk for Peace that takes place this weekend from Camp Williams to Fort McCoy. The walk is in support of the 32nd Brigade Combat Team of the Wisconsin National Guard, which is deployed to Iraq.
The walk is meant to ask for the brigade to be brought home, according to bicyclist Dan Pearson, a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, one of the organizations sponsoring the walk.
But just getting there has become a journey and an exploration for the five bicyclists.
At their home in Chicago, all five are committed to cutting back on expenses and living a more simple life, which, for most of them, means sharing housing, and at thrift stores and even Dumpster diving.
“We all live simply,” said bicyclist Tim Herlihey.
It means questioning what society expects, such as buying a home or a larger car.”You do kind of have to look past the first messages that you get,” said bicyclist Leah Patriarco.
It also means relying on friends.
“We share our resources - if you are able to combine resources, (you can) live simply,” Herlihey said.
It is also about living “green” and getting rid of vehicles in favor of bicycles.
“It’s the most energy-efficient mode of transportation,” Pearson said.
The five use their bicycles as much as possible.
“I really just like to take my bike everywhere,” said bicyclist Gerald Paoli.
The group is traveling along county roads and small highways, camping and staying at friends’ homes along the way.
The difference between taking a car and bicycling in the open air is the purpose of the journey: In a vehicle, drivers and passengers are contained, Patriarco said. The world goes by outside the window.
Bicyclists are more accessible, she said.
“You get to meet people (on a bicycle),” Patriarco said.
You also experience your surroundings more vividly, Pearson said.
“You can smell the fresh-mown hay,” Pearson said.
The aches and pains - even this journey is long for the five bicyclists - are worth it, Partriarco said.
“All of our butts hurt - that’s universal,” Patriarco said with a laugh.
