I was raised to believe that volunteering is everyone's responsibility to help build their community.  I am fortunate enough to have been raised in a loving family with a good education and given the gift of good health.  So, I was taught by my parents that I have a responsibility to give back ... to volunteer.  Anytime I hear the word "responsibility", I think of something I have to do - not necessarily something fun and inspiring.  My experience yesterday gave me reason to think about all of my volunteer activities.  They may not be as immediately exhilarating, but in the end volunteering gives me back so much more than the time invested.  Being a parent of three school aged children, the bulk of my volunteering these days has to do with school fundraisers, educational programs, and school work days.  When I see a teacher's enthusiasm over a program that was purchased as a result of fundraising efforts, or when I see the excitement of a student who gets a little extra art instruction in art club, or when I see the community working together to help improve our schools, I feel lucky to have been part of it.  Not burdened with a responsibility.

So whether you help at school or plant trees or serve in a soup kitchen or help at your church or anything else, I'll bet the growth that both you and your community experience as a result of your efforts far outweighs the investment!  I do agree it is our responsibility as concerned citizens to give back, but I think I will teach my kids that they are "privileged" instead.  They are privileged to live in a society where they have the opportunity to impact their community in positive ways and grow as an individual just by sharing a little of their time.

1) Write to your U.S. congressman to support the proper legislation.

Recently, a group of very dedicated cycling advocates gathered at the US Capitol to work toward making the country more bike friendly. They spent a few days learning how to be stronger advocates and then went calling on their state congressmen and women. They are asking everyone to push their congressmen & women to support the following bills:

• H.R. 4722 - Active Community Transportation Act of 2010 Provide concentrated investment for communities to complete active transportation networks
• S. 584/H.R. 1443 - The Complete Streets Act of 2009 Complete Streets is a policy that ensures ALL potential road users - including bicyclists - are taken into account in the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of ALL highways.
• S. 1156 - The Safe Routes to School Program Reauthorization Act & H.R. 4021 - The Safe Routes to High Schools Act Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a proven national program to create safe, convenient and fun ways for children to walk and bike to school.

For more information on the Summit and details on these bills (starting on page 15), click here:
http://www.bikeleague.org/conferences/summit10/bike_summit_program_2010_final.pdf

2) Participate in Ride to the Capitol Day.

Beginner or advanced riders welcome. Ride from Roswell or ride from Decatur. Next Tuesday, March 23, hundreds, if not thousands, of cyclists will congregate and ride to the state capital as a group to show support for bicycling legislation at the state level. The event is sponsored by Metro Atlanta Mayor's Association and others. For more info, click here:

http://www.georgiaridestothecapitol.org/

I'll close by sharing a story I heard on WABE this morning that I thought was "super cool"! Georgia Tech and Emory are partnering to make bicycle renting very accessible and extremely easy. Tech is creating a device to mount on a bike that can be managed via cell phone.  Using cell phone commands, a renter can request a new bike rental, unlock a bike, and lock the bike when done. A renter can pick up a bike anywhere it is parked, rent it for however long they want, and leave it wherever they are. All of this using cell phone text messages. Emory already has a bike rental program in place, so they will be the first to pilot this new program. Georgia Tech is next. Why not metro Atlanta neighborhoods after that? To hear a little more, listen to the story on WABE:

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wabe/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1622135/Atlanta/Georgia.Tech.to.Test.'Smart.Locks'.on.Emory.Bikes

What does it mean to be a cycling advocate?  My thoughts are that you are interested in making your region a safer and more enjoyable place to ride.  Atlanta is very challenging with its car centric tendency, but I know there are thousands of us who want to make it better.  I recently found out about a non-profit trying to organize efforts.  Seems like a good place to start.  Check it out:

 Atlanta Bicycle Coalition

http://www.atlantabike.org/

ABC's mission is to make it safer and easier for people to ride bicycles. We believe this will help create a healthier, more sustainable Atlanta and allow people to enjoy a higher quality of life while improving public health, cleaning the air, reducing congestion, and building community.