Rather
Stuck in traffic on I-20 I heard on the radio that all three lanes were blocked into town while they cleaned up an accident. I was thinking to myself that I hated driving, when I realized I was behind the bus that I have been riding home- how ironic. I'd rather commute, now that I've done it enough to know what a great thing it is. I'm way more prepared when I ride my bike/bus- I have to plan ahead with everything from my clothes to lunch to work stuff to what er ands I will be running after work. Not to mention I'm on time, the bus is predictable morning and afternoon. My blood pressure feels lower on days that I ride, I'm calmer, happier, feel more alive and more connected with my environment.
When I drive I'm always late, I never have everything I need in the morning, the traffic is unpredictable so I end up running late. I don't think about the elements or plan my whole day out in detail, often I end up not having the right clothes/shoes/etc. Not to mention how lonely it is in my vehicle, there is no connection with anyone else or with the environment. The environment begins somewhere I'm not allowed in my car- it's beyond the interstate, beyond the grid system of the streets. I am also constantly worried about getting in an accident when I drive. I drive like an old lady, I know this- I assume it will just get worse as I become an old lady. Everyone drives so fast and is on their cell phones. I'm tense, my shoulders ache from the prolonged tightness. My head aches from the exhaust and the frustration of traffic- fast and slow. When I ride the bus and I depart and get on my bike, I hear birds singing, I see and hear people smiling and laughing, I smell the fresh blooms of spring...I feel alive.
I had to drive today. I'm a Team Captain for Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society. There is a TON to do this week to get my team ready and do a BIG fundraiser on Wednesday. I have a zillion errands to run, and a crap load of STUFF to get- it's ridiculous really and goes completely against my whole SIMPLIFY concept of lately. But I'm doing it, driving, buying, and whining. I'm doing it with my company, which I have mixed feelings about (often). I work for a Big Giant Corporation, that pretends to be a L.E.E.D. contractor leading the way to building a greener future. Which is crap, they really don't care about that, just getting the contract. I really want to get put on a LEED job though, it appears the next one coming up is about an 1 1/2 hour commute out of town. Which got me thinking (which too much time in traffic allows) that if that was my option or being on ANOTHER job where everything is just thrown away and no one cares would I stay with the Company? Either way it goes against this lifestyle that I am trying to uphold. Then I started thinking why does having a 'career' really matter? If I make a decent living, but don't have the perfect big career am I going to wake up one day and say 'I wish I would have had a career.' I'm guessing not (other than if I delivered pizza's my whole life!) I'm guessing it's much more probable that I would wake up one day and say 'I wish I would have taken the time and hiked the Appalachian Trail, or spent those 6 months living in Tibet.' or whatever, you get the point. What would I rather miss- the career or just living? What would you miss more?
When I drive I'm always late, I never have everything I need in the morning, the traffic is unpredictable so I end up running late. I don't think about the elements or plan my whole day out in detail, often I end up not having the right clothes/shoes/etc. Not to mention how lonely it is in my vehicle, there is no connection with anyone else or with the environment. The environment begins somewhere I'm not allowed in my car- it's beyond the interstate, beyond the grid system of the streets. I am also constantly worried about getting in an accident when I drive. I drive like an old lady, I know this- I assume it will just get worse as I become an old lady. Everyone drives so fast and is on their cell phones. I'm tense, my shoulders ache from the prolonged tightness. My head aches from the exhaust and the frustration of traffic- fast and slow. When I ride the bus and I depart and get on my bike, I hear birds singing, I see and hear people smiling and laughing, I smell the fresh blooms of spring...I feel alive.
I had to drive today. I'm a Team Captain for Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society. There is a TON to do this week to get my team ready and do a BIG fundraiser on Wednesday. I have a zillion errands to run, and a crap load of STUFF to get- it's ridiculous really and goes completely against my whole SIMPLIFY concept of lately. But I'm doing it, driving, buying, and whining. I'm doing it with my company, which I have mixed feelings about (often). I work for a Big Giant Corporation, that pretends to be a L.E.E.D. contractor leading the way to building a greener future. Which is crap, they really don't care about that, just getting the contract. I really want to get put on a LEED job though, it appears the next one coming up is about an 1 1/2 hour commute out of town. Which got me thinking (which too much time in traffic allows) that if that was my option or being on ANOTHER job where everything is just thrown away and no one cares would I stay with the Company? Either way it goes against this lifestyle that I am trying to uphold. Then I started thinking why does having a 'career' really matter? If I make a decent living, but don't have the perfect big career am I going to wake up one day and say 'I wish I would have had a career.' I'm guessing not (other than if I delivered pizza's my whole life!) I'm guessing it's much more probable that I would wake up one day and say 'I wish I would have taken the time and hiked the Appalachian Trail, or spent those 6 months living in Tibet.' or whatever, you get the point. What would I rather miss- the career or just living? What would you miss more?
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