Walking. The simple act of placing one foot in front of the other. A natural means of getting from one place to the next. A thoughtless, instinctive function almost as inherent as breathing, eating and drinking. Sped up, it becomes running. Slowed it down it takes on the adage: "dragging one's feet". Walking. It is a needful human attribute that literally, keeps us moving. Yet why do we fight it? Why do we shun it? And so many times, why do we insult the very action that allows us to progress forward?
Case in point: a parking lot. How needful is it for us to drive circles around a crowded parking lot looking for a parking space? I am going to make a conjecture and say that we have trained our minds and our bodies to yearn for the closest possible spot to leave our car and effectually, limit our walking. Why? Because a few extra feet is five steps too many? Because since you can't actually park your car inside the desired location, it's imperative to get as close as possible otherwise? Truly, let us think about this. Will parking a few spaces down, a few rows across, or an extra block away be such a burden to recover from by walking just a little bit extra?
Which is why I say, EMBRACE IT! For this reason, not too long ago, I came to terms with walking and rather then kick against it, I decided to love it. Why come? Because it is a part of me. It is so much of who I am. I cannot do without it and to it I owe so much.
So, now instead of wasting time driving circles around meaningless parking lots of my life, I leave my car where it is and I walk. And in return, I have health, peace, a lowered risk of parking lot accidents (the second most common car accident) and more gas in my car. Life has been better ever since.
Join in me in coming to terms with walking. Accept it as a positive part of life and let it "walk" to your advantage. And when people in your car ask you, "Um, why did we park so far away? I'm sure there's something closer," you say to them, "'Close' is relative. I see this as an opportunity. Deny not yourself the nature of your being. Walk with me."
2 comments:
Wow one the list of perks for just parking and walking. I just park because I am too impatient to wait for a closer spot. Thanks for giving me a better reason.
i made a rule that when i pull into a parking lot, i choose a row and the first space available is the one i take - no matter its distance from the door.
except when it is is minus a bazillion and the worst snowstorm of the century is blowing. then i park as close as i can to the entrance. especially when going to 7-11 for a slurpee.
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