One of my favorite things to do during my down time in South Florida is to rollerblade along A1A (the road parallel to the miles and miles of beach here) and jam out to my favorite playlist. I was blading along a few weeks back and had to cross over the white line into the street traffic because the bike lane was covered in sand from a recent storm. If you have ever been on small wheels you know this is suicide and extremely dangerous. So I was willing to take my chances with the vehicles rather than 100% slip and fall on the sand in the road. All the motorists were extremely cautious and kind with the exception of one man who was yelling at me from the inside of his truck. It made me realize that if you have never been on smaller wheels you would think I was the one being extremely careless and selfish cutting into the car traffic.
Then the thought came in to try to do something about this because it was a dangerous circumstance and could easily be avoided with a simple sweep of the streets. So I recorded the issue via video and tagged The City of Fort Lauderdale in the post asking them to address the issue. To my surprise they responded and asked for the exact location, which I gave. I bladed again 4 days later and voila! The sand was gone! I was delighted to know I had played a part in keeping the streets more clean and safe for everyone. Then it got me thinking...
I often feel like my voice or my actions don't really make a difference because as individuals we are so small and more often than not my wants, needs, and requests are not that of the majority. So why would I even try? But in my rollerblade street request IT DID MATTER! And the city listened and did something about it! The whole experience gave me a new appreciation for the city in which I am blessed to call my home. It also gave me inspiration to know that what I say, share, request can make a difference and impact those around me in a positive and loving way.
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