Asilomar State Beach, Pacific Grove, California
“You are never too small to make a difference.” – Greta Thunberg
Driving on Sunshine
It’s officially spring, and the trees and plants here are in full agreement, young, tender, green leaves pushing out and plum blossoms filling the air with an aroma reminiscent of purple Jolly Rancher candy. All of this magnificent life is bursting out everywhere, powered by the sun’s return to the northern hemisphere. This dramatic display is what makes spring my favorite season of the year.
The power of the sun, the same sun that warms our faces on a cold morning, falls across our new solar panels. It’s been interesting, almost a game, getting to know them, how fast they charge the battery pack, and when to plug in our car. During the day, the solar panels generate enough power to run the house, charge the battery, and recharge our car simultaneously. We’ve had the solar panels for four months now, and I’m getting used to them, but today marked a sea change in my thinking.
Just before sunset, I unplugged the car and drove down to a favorite restaurant for dinner. The immediacy of unplugging the car, hopping in, and driving down Highway One carried an undeniable visceral feeling. I was driving on sunshine that had graced the roof of our house only a few minutes earlier, sunshine that was now hurling me down the road at 60 miles an hour. Pure, clean, free sunshine. This isn’t a pipe dream or some technological advance that may change our lives in the future; it’s happening every moment of every day, all over the world. People running their lives on the same sunshine that grows plums on a tree in our backyard.