Get Out!

During the run up on gasoline prices, the thing that has been most challenging to me is travel. Not traveling from point A to B but trips to the places I want to reach beyond the city. Living in Charlotte means that we're fairly close to just about anywhere. The mountains are only a couple of hours away. The beach is an hour or two further. And if things get really crazy, most of us can get to Charlotte-Douglas International in about twenty minutes. Not that I ever actually just dropped everything to scurry off to the airport even when flights were cheap. But I found comfort in the option should it come to that.

The cost to fly is still pretty prohibitive but I see that gas prices are coming down again--at least nationally. Here in Charlotte, we are still recovering from the hurricanes in the gulf. In fact, I haven't even seen a station with premium fuel for over a month. But that will all catch up and hopefully we will benefit from a diminishing demand curve like everyone else.

Of course, it's a little ironic that clearing our minds and refreshing our spirits would be dependent on the price of gas. It's actually kind of scary to think about--burning fossil fuel just to get some fresh air...

But it does feel that way sometimes. It seems that the only excuse we can find to even go outside is to go someplace far away. It actually takes some imagination and discipline to think about mind clearing and spirit refreshing options that might be just outside our doors.

But I suspect it's worth it. In fact, I think our health and sanity in some ways depend upon it. We need to get outside. If even for a bike ride to a nearby park or a walk to the closest coffee shop. The world looks different when we're not looking at it through a computer screen (hmmm). Time feels different as well.

If we want to get a sense of this, here's an experiment to try. Pick a safe mile or so near the house and drive it at the posted speed limit looking around as we drive. Then go back to the house, park the car and walk that same mile. We will be surprised not only by what we see but by how we feel about it. Insects, old candy wrappers, the way a heavy truck lays a track in the Carolina mud--things that we would never dream could hold our attention somehow become interesting....And even if they don't, we'll still be getting some exercise and breathing some air that didn't just come out of some else's mouth.

Bye the way, above is a shot from Zion National Park. I was hiking with friends last Spring. It was the weekend that Carolina got pummeled by Kansas in the NCAA semi-final. Still found time to see that though. Go Duke!