Dear diary,
Last Friday at school assembly some people from the council came to talk to us. They spoke about an “Active Travel” program the school wants to adopt – apparently, it’s supposed to help the environment by reducing carbon emissions:
“If you kids choose to ride bikes or scooters instead of using a car, you’re helping make the world a little better for everyone.”
A little is better than nothing I suppose. I wonder if the boat ride across the border was ‘active’ enough to change the world, even just a little bit. Basically no emissions come from small dinghy boats, especially when there are a hundred or so people packed in like sardines. That’s got to count for something. Surely I’ve done my part more than our neighbours who came here on an airplane, right? I heard somewhere that planes release lots of emissions… but then that would mean that when Hassan arrived to meet us here in England, with a trash bag draped over his shoulder full of the last belongings we had in Sudan, that he somehow helped make the world a slightly worse place. Does that mean he’s done something bad? Even just a little bit?
Leeds is a strange place. It’s cold and fast and the people don’t touch each other here. But I have some good friends at the school and I’m learning a little more each day. My classmate gave me her old bike, so every afternoon since assembly I’ve been riding around, talking to whoever will listen to my broken English. That’s getting better too.
During yesterday’s ride, an older couple at the local park told me about a place I could work on my English skills, maybe also take some tutoring classes to catch up on my learning which was disrupted by the war. It’s called a Refugee Centre – I swear I pedalled to it at the speed of light after they told me. I think I might make a trip there this afternoon. Maybe if I keep going, the bike rides will add up and I can change the world more than a little bit! Sometimes I see the people who work there riding their scooters and bikes and do the mental math for how many lives were saved that day. It never adds up, it never makes sense. But that’s okay – it’s small.
Other things make sense though – like the fact there’s even schools/centres to ride to. Pedalling those wheels on my bike make me strong, but there’s nothing like having your soul strengthened by knowledge. I don’t know if I’ll ever be convinced of riding my bike to save the world, but I’m sure everything in this world can be fixed if we learn to save ourselves. Riding my bike made the world a little better, but riding my bike to school can make it a lot better.
I look up at my tutor as I finish my entry: “How was that Hayang?”
