1,000 Subscribers

Here's a weird thing. My YouTube channel hit to 1,000 subscribers recently. A year ago I wouldn't have known that I would even create a YouTube channel, let alone reach several people and share my enthusiasm about biking and hopes for a city with better cycling infrastructure and safer streets.

A lot of this had to do with one specific YouTube video where I was criticizing Doug Ford's intention to remove bike lanes. Well, I must have done something right because the algorithm took this video for a ride, showing it to some 25,000 people. It's been a hot topic and was much discussed in the news (despite there being more pressing issues in our province that politicians should be dealing with, especially when bike lanes have been proven to improve traffic flow, reduce carbon emissions, and keep people happy and healthy. But I digress).

After a long winter, I will be returning to creating some videos, but I'm not really sure what shape or form it will take. I'm not particularly driven to accumulate more subscribers, and in fact I was a little uncomfortable with writing this post in the first place. Why call out something that I don't want to take too seriously? Why call out that I've hit some arbitrary number? I'm not really sure. Mostly, I think I want to celebrate the making of these videos at all—it was one of those do something that makes you uncomfortable situations. And more importantly, by being honest and transparent about this process, I hope to make videos match that tone.

I think more than anything, I want to continue celebrating how cycling makes me feel and share that positivity with the world. Undoubtedly, I've become more political about issues related to transportation and cycling. I want to see a world where people feel safe to be on streets whether they're walking, cycling, running, or driving (if you must). In my utopian ideals, everybody rides a bike or walks. Or takes transit. I want to see a world with fewer cars, that's pretty obvious. I guess I have an agenda in that sense. An agenda and some hope. Our current infrastructure doesn't make that possible for so many people. And until it does, I think the best I can do is share why I love cycling and how it changes lives - my life - and others', everyday.