Radical lifestyles built upon the privileges we oppose...

People that lead radical lifestyles, whether it be squatting, living in an ecovillage, or hopping trains, frequently forget that these ways of living are built upon many of the privileges we oppose. What does that mean? Obviously giving up radical living for "normal" living isn't the solution. However, people that live outside of the norms of society should recognize that they need the help of people living by the book to continue living radically. Dumpster divers need over-consumers that waste, ecovillages need middle-class people to buy from their farms, and hitchhikers need people to drive cars. Here's a short story I wrote about the kindness a cyclist was shown by a middle-class married couple (they just happen to be my parents):

$40

“Who’s bike is that?” she thought as she watched her husband pull off the ferry with a bicycle in the bed of the truck. He pulled up beside her and she climbed in quickly to escape the rain. There was a young man sitting in the back seat of the truck, clearly happy to have found shelter from the stormy weather. Her husband had met him on the ferry and offered him a ride since they were all going to Orient.

Tim was from Portland, OR and in his mid-20’s. His career was a bit vague: an aspiring philosopher of sorts, definitely some type of writer though. He explained to the woman and her husband that he was riding his bicycle and taking trains throughout the foreign coast, a place that was their home, to do some writing. He had a number of destinations he wanted travel to, each one pertaining to his elusive writing project.

As she heard Tim’s story, she couldn’t help but think about her son. He had done a bicycle tour the summer before and she remembered the tremendous generosity strangers had shown her son. With thoughts of her son churning in the back of her mind, she was happy that her husband had befriended this stranger and offered him a helping hand.

The women intently listened to Tim as he explained that he was on Fire Island a couple days before, where his trip took a turn for the worst. While in the quiet beach town, someone had stolen his wallet. His ID, month-long Amtrak ticket, credit cards, and almost all of his money were taken from him. He had just enough money to buy a ferry ticket from Orient to New London, CT and a train ticket to start his journey to Boston, his next destination for writing. Someone from back home had sent money to Boston for him, but he was broke until then.

When they arrived at the Orient Point Ferry, the woman and her husband said they would watch his bike while he went inside to buy his ticket. She couldn’t help but pity Tim and his miserable situation. She thought again about the kindness her son was met with while on the road and knew she had to do something to help Tim. Before she had a chance to say anything to her husband, he suggested that they give the young cyclist some money.

Tim slogged through the rain back to the truck, where he was greeted with $40 and smiles. The women’s husband handed Tim the money as she told the young man about the kindness and giving her son had received on his bike trip. She told him that this was their way of saying thank you to all of the people who had helped her son. She could feel his deep appreciation as he thanked them. The money, a relatively small amount for the married couple, was a big gift for Tim. His energy changed as if he had been given new hope for his trip, possibly even a bit of new hope in humanity. Maybe her son had felt the same way when that stranger in Virginia offered him a warm place to sleep after a long, rainy day. They said their goodbyes and Tim trudged off towards the ferry.  

the GADFLY