But Marci’s efforts are not going unnoticed by others, and are garnering support in the environmental community. After a lecture given by Laurie David, the producer of An Inconvenient Truth — Al Gore’s Oscar-winning film about global warming — Marci met Gregor Barnum, the Director of Corporate Consciousness at Seventh Generation, at the reception. “Gregor is part of Seventh Generation’s team that is promoting a new campaign called "The Inspired Protagonist."
"After hearing my story, he thought I fit the bill.” The team joined her with their cameras on her evening hitch home. I happened to pick her up that night as they followed her around on her travels, filming her hitchhiking experience. The video is getting a lot of play on YouTube and is bringing attention to Marci’s quest.
Marci continues to hitchhike to and from her job in Waterbury and around the state, even through the cold and blizzardy weather. In general she is a quiet activist but surprised herself recently when she got up at the Cindy Sheehan rally in Hardwick and said, “I’ve never preached it to anyone, I prefer to just talk with people about my choices, and thank them for being part of my transportation system. But I am going to start advocating for hitchhiking because I believe it is a socially conscious thing to do.”
You might not agree with her methods, but I can’t imagine you disagree with her motives. I sure don’t, and whenever I see her smiling face on the road, I pull over to the side and look forward to some wonderful company for my drive. So if one day you are driving along a road in northern or central Vermont, and you see this woman with her thumb out, why not pick her up? She’s a great conversationalist, politically savvy and educated, and an enthusiastic and positive person. Who knows? You might even learn something about people’s dedication to the environment… I did.
Article comments
1 - Arch Conservative
[Entire comment deleted]
2 - Michael J. West
Geez, Archie. What was the point of that comment other than to be nasty and spiteful? (Or was that it?)
Ann, I thought it was a fine article about serendipitously meeting an interesting person and learning about how she lives her life. It didn't change my views about environmental activism...but it did make me wonder what I miss by not engaging with unfamiliar faces. Thanks for posting it!
3 - Mark Saleski
cool post. nice to see somebody walking the walk...in more ways than one!
4 - Dave Nalle
In the good old soviet union, because of the shortage of cars private drivers were legally required to pick up hitchhikers and could be prosecuted if they didn't. I think that puts this all in context.
Dave
5 - Lisa Alvarado
Ann -- What a great wake-up call....Once again, it looks like grassroots activism has a long reach!
BTW--Arch, you might want to review that old red/commie document...the constitution, with its subversive ideas of freedom of speech and expression. (I guess if you can lower yourself to character assassination and obscenity for a difference in belief, we can tolerate your apparent inablity to offer a substantive critique.)
6 - mwb
Excellent article! Keep them coming.
7 - Anna Creech
Interesting article. I used to put a lot of miles on the road, but I've since changed jobs and moved to a new state. Now I'm in a small town and live less than a mile away from work. I may not have access to all the luxuries of an urban area, but I do spend less time in my car and more time doing the things I enjoy. It wasn't exactly a choice like what Marci Young is doing, but it does remind me that we can all do little things here and there that lessen the impact on environmental resources.
8 - Christopher Rose
Just to avoid confusion, I have removed the content of Arch Conservative's gratuitously offensive remarks.
9 - MCH
Hey Ann;
I hear you folks in Vermont get more snow than we do here in Montana. Any truth to that?
BTW, great article. And I agree with Mark's comment #3, there's so very little of that on BC.
10 - Ann Cardinal
Thanks MCH! As to the snow comparison as we say in Vermont, "hard tellin' not knowin'" (translation: I don't have a clue)but I will say that we are getting less and less each year and with a snow-based economy (as I heard our chamber president call it the other day) we are wishing we had gotten more!
11 - Mark Saleski
i personally could have done with 3 feet of snow over the weekend in souther nh instead of 5" of rain. bleah!
12 - DEAN BERRY
AMERICA'S NOW DOING EVERYTHING THE COMMUNISTS DID TO THEIR PEOPLE. LOOKS LIKE THE CONSERVATIVES LOST AFTER ALL:
13 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
I hate to rain on the happiness parade here.
I live in a country where hitching a ride is rather common. MOST folks are decent, kind, friendly. But in only takes one rapist to ruin a woman's life, and one bullet to end it...
Nothing wrong with the article, but travelling by outstretched thumb - or finger - is dangerous for a lone woman...
14 - Bill
Marci - Please get a job. It is time to behave like a grown-up.
15 - MCH
Ann re #10;
Yeah, we've been experiencing milder winters here over the last 15-20 years...warmer temps, less snow, etc. The only up-side being that the heating bills aren't as astronomical as they could be.
16 - Ann Cardinal
response to #14:
Bill: If you would have read the article carefully, you would have seen that Marci does indeed have a job, an important one at the state's Dept of Environmental Conservation.
17 - Dave Nalle
Although she does have a job, Bill does have a point about the luxury afforded state employees in the Peoples Republic of Vermont to continue an indefinite adolescence.
dave
18 - Clavos
Marci's making an interesting point that can and is, right here, generating debate: a good thing. More power to her for stirring interest and having the courage of her convictions.
But, hitchhiking, in the face of today's crime rates??...