To change the world ; rethink the route

[lafoutloud]

The Weather Channel reporter has just predicted heat indexes of over 100 degrees today with traffic delays in St. Louis. When I heard this report I had the image of thousands of people in hundreds of cities collectively having the same thought. "Today, I will not sit alone in my car in an hour or more of stalled traffic in over 100 degree weather."

I envision thousands of cell phones being discreetly pulled from pockets or purses. Conversations like, "I will be doing something a little crazy tonight", "Don't hold dinner for me", or " I think I can save $10 or so by not getting stuck in that traffic". then, I imagine that these people, proud of the little dent they may be making, might be inclined to share this concept around the water cooler. One of the five who hear this bold new idea, might think, "wow - leave 2 hours later, save $10 in gas, and get home only one hour later than if you left at your usual time? - that is a great idea!" And another listener might linger over the possibility. Hmm. "What if I did that too? In fact, what if I asked my neighbor who lives just a block over, if he wants to share a ride a couple of days a week?" Two out of three ain't bad.

Apart from this wildly invigorating idea of people taking steps to change their behavior in a go green kind of way, I can almost hear something even more impressive. Silence. Silent gas pumps. Silent profit gains for oil companies. Just like the click , click , click from a combination lock when every chamber lines up, I know that if a sweeping movement of this nature were to take hold , there could be so many benefits. What will it take for you to be the Maven in your world? Go ahead. I am listening.

[Simon]

Yes, let's imagine that, cause we all know that will never happen... :(

[lafoutloud]

Yes, let's imagine that, cause we all know that will never happen...

Now Simon, if you had read The Tipping Point, you might feel differently. While I do not agree with all of the author's ideas, I do believe pivotal changes can occur in our society if the right people take action and if others, who are similarly intentioned, see that action and duplicate it.

Six years ago I stopped doing business with W--Mart , and occasionally I let people know that I don't shop there and why. I had been accustomed to spending over $100 a week in that store. That said, I guess we are talking about such a wee bit of a dent in the profit margin of W-- Mart that it is hardly worth mentioning. EXCEPT, that I have probably shared this detail with about 250 people. If some of those people are as opposed to the business practices of said store as I am, perhaps they stopped doing business there as well. In that case 5K may have become 10K and ....you get the picture.

Corporate Giants are not made by themselves. Bit by bit they are created by people like you and me. If we made them, we can break them. One person at a time. The same way we can alter our habits to save fuel.