Gift #59 Life is Like a See-Saw
November 29, 2009
See Saw
…or a box of chocolates, or a journey, or any other metaphor that aptly conveys the vagaries of life. It’s up and down, you never know what you’re going to get, and you’re not given any warning of what lies around the next bend.
The last couple of weeks have been difficult, both personally and financially. A change in our employment picture has thrown a wrench in our spokes, and truthfully, as we paused in our journey to consider everything, we almost abandoned this project. It has been a time of real soul-searching.
But Guerrilla Giving is an adventure and education in trust. Trusting in the benevolence of Life. Trusting that as we give a gift, it will be found by the right person, at the right time, and for the right reason. Trusting that our call to help others is helping us as well. Your emails and comments, and our own experience have affirmed these values.
Having said that, trusting that all will be well with us personally and as a family, is certainly easier when things are going relatively smoothly financially. We’re currently in a new leg of the journey, a time when trust is more than an abstract idea or spiritual ideal. It is, and will be, an active ingredient in our daily life. There will be more ups and downs, but as long as the spirit of life continues to partner with us, the see-saw we find ourselves on will be more than a little exhilarating. We’re holding on for the ride. We’re back, and blessed to be so.
If you found this Guerrilla Gift, may your day be more up than down, but more importantly, may you feel blessed in all that life brings your way.
Gift #58 Green Streets in a Roundabout Kind of Way
November 18, 2009
Green Streets
Love or loathe them, there’s no denying the effectiveness of traffic calming devices like this traffic circle. As cyclists we appreciate how traffic circles, speed humps, bulges etc., slow traffic for us non-motorized (and mostly unprotected) folk.
That said, there’s seemingly some confusion about roundabout rules. Which way do you go when turning? Who’s got the right of way?
It’s actually quite simple. Stay on the right of the circle at all times until you’re ready to exit in your desired direction. As for who goes and who waits—it comes down to who is in the circle first. If you both enter at the same time, the person entering from the right has the right of way. Easy enough? Hope so. If not, have a look at this video to see it all in action.
Apart from the calming benefits of traffic circles, many of them are also aesthetically pleasing. Since 1994, the City of Vancouver’s Green Streets program has encouraged citizens to adopt a traffic circle or bulge and turn it into a garden of your own.
If you found this Guerrilla Gift, we hope above all else, that you made it out of the intersection safely, and that maybe you felt inspired to sign up for a green street plot for yourself. Spring is just around the corner isn’t it? Well… 
