I have this thing against bumper to bumper traffic. It’s like when a cat comes around the corner to a big dog. They look each other in the eye waiting for the other to make the move. And then havoc ensues. There isn’t that much destruction, fur and claws involved with traffic and I. But the mental and emotional state that I slide into when I sit between the the quiet and slow Toyota Prius and the clean and crisp Audi A5 is like a battle of epic proportions.
I immediately believe the worst in people. I become frustrated. I think people should move for me in my rough looking Chevy S10. And I always think we are going to slow, when in fact we are not moving! Bumper to bumper traffic and I have a hate relationship.
Until this past week. It turned into the love hate relationship that I never wanted.
This last week during my ‘Tour de Seattle,’ traffic and I began to bond a little. There were times where I might have wanted to go crazy, but I learned something about that time. I can get a lot done durning that time. And so, last week I learned that my workspace for a couple hours a day would be in that bumper to bumper traffic.
And I got a lot done. I was able to make some phone calls. Hands-free of course! And it helped me get to where I needed to go. Like I mentioned in my last Workspace post, I really love getting to catch up with people and hear about what is going on in their lives. This is a great space to do that as long as that is all that I am doing.
It also helped me to play some catch up. I listened to podcasts I was behind on. I listened to sports talk radio. I listened to sermons from church that I have missed while I’m on the road. And it gave me some time to sit and talk with God. And listen to him. This was a space that I was stuck in for some time. And it was perfect to catch up on these things.
All in all, the time that I had between the log-hauling semi-truck and the 15 passenger van was the sweetest it has ever been. In fact, traffic and I learned a little about each other. And as I traveled from coffee shop to coffee shop to catch up with friends, my office never left me. That wonderful red pickup truck and the highway helped me stay up on work that I really needed to do.
What sorts of things do you do when you are stuck in bumper to bumper traffic?
Here are the last few posts of Today’s Workspace:
-Old Red & Starbucks Headquarters
