Wheels of Life.docVIP

Wheels of Life 　　I would have arrived here much later if I had not taken my bike. Rush-hour traffic is usually terrible at this time of day.”The Chinese man speaking was 72 years old. His trim， fit figure immediately suggested the value of having two wheels for manual transportation， as well as good health， as opposed to four-wheeled gasoline guzzlers that reflect status. While automobiles only sometimes ensure speed， they definitely contribute to the damage to the ozone layer and the rapidly diminishing clean air supply. However， anyway you look at it， wheels are vital to our existence. 　　In Beijing and elsewhere， thousands of pedestrians move about their daily lives pedaling furiously in and out of stalled traffic jams. In New York， my cousin worries about digging out her car wheels deep in the snow. Choosing the bicycle option could be a wise move in this increasingly environmentally conscious period. 　　The ever faithful corner bicycle repairmen stationed throughout the city， through rain or shine， make many hearts warmer in times of need―a bent tire rim， a broken spoke， faulty hand-brakes lines， and， of course， the airless， punctured tire itself. All of these and more need attention and reliable care. Not a problem in Beijing―it is not important how old or new your transportation habits may be， only your energy and desire to reach point B from point A. 　　Wheeled transportation was a wonderful invention in ancient times. However， even in todays era of drone air strikes， flat screens， and digital messages， transport via wheeled vehicles will undoubtedly remain part of our culture for a very long time. 　　Even our language reflects how dependent and useful the simple wheel has become： wheelhouse = highest area of confidence； wheelbarrel = single-wheeled equipment for carrying heavy loads； and meals on wheels = a program for food delivery to the elderly or shut-ins. Most of us are familiar with these pithy sayings： “The squeaky wheel that gets the grease” or“spin