Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Gotta Have It

What is it about us as human beings that have to have the best parking spot? I mean honestly. I was walking in to work today after just having parked the car (thank you Bradford for being a peach and letting me use Blackie!) and I noticed that a spot had just opened up that was much closer to the building than the spot I had and I was seriously considering going back out and moving the car before the spot got snatched. I pushed the button for the elevator and as I waited for it I went back to the window and pondered all the advantages of the closer spot and how it would take me just two minutes to move it. Then I realized the irony of the situation. I was waiting indefinitely for the elevator (with the stairs two feet away) because I wanted to get to work ASAP. Yet I was very intensely thinking about going back out side, walking to the car, moving it, and then walking back into the building to save me time later? How does that make sense?

I started up the stairs after that realization.

As I was walking up to my floor I asked myself that question: What is it that makes me want to have that spot so fervently (and I really did)? Will it make me earlier to work? Not if I go back out to the car and move it and then continue to wait for the elevator. Was I so cold now that I didn't want to be as cold after work when walking back to my car? Walking 10 seconds longer in my long winter coat isn't going to kill me. Then maybe it was because I knew I wasn't going to get out of work before 6 tonight and I didn't want to have to walk to my car alone in the dark? Nope. The street (where the "amazing" spot is) isn't lit while the parking lot (where I parked) has a light about every ten feet. Then what?! I couldn't think of anything logical.

One could argue that a closer spot saves time if you're late or in a hurry or something. But I don't want to be the type of person that is rushing around from one place to another at hyper speed all day long. Plus, it is easily arguable that circling the lot like a hawk wastes more time than just taking the available spot and walking the difference. Same goes with the stairs vs. elevator situation. People (yes, I'm generalizing here) take the elevator because its convenient, "faster" even. But I know from experience that waiting for the elevator and then slowly ascending may be less work than taking the stairs but it is definitely not quicker.

Now, back to not wanting to live life at supersonic speeds rushing around all the time. If the stairs are faster and walking from a farther spot takes less time than waiting for a closer spot to free up, then isn't that living life in a time conscious crunch? I thought about that and decided that yes it may be more time efficient but I'm not really worried about how much time I'm taking (ideally). I'm just doing it because it makes more sense than waiting who knows how long for an elevator or a prime parking spot to become available and not because of any pressing feelings of urgency. If, for example, I were hovering behind an old man who was shuffling to his car in the coveted spot the emotions I can clearly see in that situation are impatience, annoyance, maybe selfishness because I don't want someone else to have the spot, and a sense of being rushed because work is waiting. I'm also probably not feeling too fondly toward grandpa at that moment. I don't want to start my day like that! Especially since work can get stressful enough without preceding it with those high strung emotions (essentially dooming my day before its even begun). I don't even want to experience those stresses at all if I can help it. Especially if they could easily be avoided. Walking from a far spot might make me a tad colder, walking up the stairs might make me a little more winded, but if nothing else I'm getting a teeny bit more exercise then I would have. More importantly though, I side step those frazzling emotions.

So, as an addendum to a previous statement in a previous post, I will continue to take the stairs and also walk a few extra feet from the parking lot. My soul needs the exercise.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree with you more. I made this realization awhile ago, that there really is no need to find the "best" parking spot. So, I don't get too flustered when I am forced to walk more. I think my biggest annoyance was always Wal-Mart, because I used to always either A) peruse the parking lot for the closest location or B) wait and wait while others get into their car and eventually pull out. Now I just find a spot and walk in. (Of course it's not just Wal-Mart parking lots). And, I generally find myself to be perfectly content with walking a little bit more, and not feeling the urgency to beat out all others in finding that great spot. I, generally, prefer the stairs anyway (they are almost always faster). Another pet peeve of mine (to go on a slight tangent) is when people decide to push the Handicap button for the door to open automatically. They will stand and stand until the door is open enough for them to get through. That irks me, because you are not only wasting time (especially when in a hurry), but you're just plain lazy! Enough of my rant, I enjoyed the post.

Anonymous said...

Good post Ju - let's not try to find "top spot" anymore (unless we can see from the back there's an amazing spot!). And stairs it is. But good golly I do hate the stairs in the JFSB. There's one level that's really like 2 levels and I hate it. I think I'm on floor 3, but I'm only on floor 2!!

Let's give ourselves the rest of having to work a little more. I agree.

You probably inherited any of those frazzled emotions from me really, I am so impatient some times.

Jenni James said...

hahahha! We have all so been there and done that! except in my case had I really gone back to move the car someone else would've parked there before I could! LOL! And then someone would've taken my other spot too and I would've had to walk even further before. But sometimes I think the lord is good at teaching me lessons like that !LOL!

Taffers Dawn said...

Oh the constant question of parking spots. It never stops. I don't know what it is either. But it does help put life into perspective sometimes.