Tireside Chats
Why do I do it?
Often, I question my commitment to Tire-Free Rivers.
« Why do I do it? » I ask myself.
Why have I chosen such a thankless quest?
One that only a handful of folks share even lukewarmly?
And that the others ridicule me for?
A quest so lonely and so daunting in its sheer magnitude that it can never be fulfilled?
« He's that guy who spends his days hauling old tires out of the Nashwaak, » I hear them say. « Why does he do it? What a waste of time. »
I heard perhaps the deepest cut of all at a recent New England Paddlers Rendezvous, a gathering of canoeists from across the Boston States held on the Merrimack River in New Hampshire a few years back. A dear friend I hold in regard as an environmentalist wise-cracked to me, « Tire-Free Rivers? Ha!! That's sure going nowhere in a hurry! »
I felt then that I was alone in my dream, and would always be alone. An oddity, another object of ridicule..
I now know this is not true, I have a clutch of friends who share my vision of cleaning up the tire dumps in Fredericton's rivers, and someday, in all rivers everywhere. Thank the river gods for them, they reaffirm my commitment and keep me going.
« Everywhere? » you gasp. Why not? Dream big or don't dream at all.
I tell myself that it's not all about me the tire remover, it's about the tire removal, and ultimately the river first and foremost. It's about me only because I believe I make a difference, even one that nobody but I will ever appreciate. One tire at a time.
And that's all I need to find the will to remove one more black tire from my blue river.
Reach out and Remove a Tire!
Tire-Free Rivers is a non-profit volunteer crusade. Tire-Free Rivers is not affiliated with anything else. Nobody makes any money doing this.
