MyWHaT

Mind wander

I try to honor the Take Back Your Time movement and that’s getting increasingly difficult in Traverse City. Everyone just seems hyperactive lately. Is it all the sunshine we’ve been getting?

It’s one reason why I enjoy walking to meetings & errands. It slows me down. Stretches time.

It’s also why I like pausing in public spaces. Loose rule: walking past a bench, one should sit, if only for a minute. When was the last time you honored this rule? Most of us don’t; I haven’t lately. Our thoughts are often on the next thing. The place we need to be. The task that needs doing. The big event.

This guy knows how to use a bench & how to recycle a water bottle. (Photo: Gary L Howe • Chengdu, 2009)

The places in-between

This mindset has major implications on how we perceive public space. Are the places in-between places to experience along the way? Or, are they places to blankly pass through? Most of the time, it’s the latter.

If we’re driving, we speed through them and see less. We experience the interior of a car and our heads. We go 35mph through neighborhoods.

If we are biking, we’re more in the moment, but it’s also a lot about the action; the cadence. It’s a little less about the place. Sometimes we miss what’s there. Not always though. I can bike pretty slow.

Taking the bus? Well, that’s interesting. It’s like stepping into a mobile place and taking a social gamble. Who will you meet? Could be a chance for conversation. It could be a chance to look out the window. It could just be a convenient way to get somewhere.

When walking, the mind wanders, for certain. But, we also don’t miss much of our surroundings. On the mile walk I frequently take to NMC, I always see something I haven’t seen before. Walking is what we are cognitively created to do well. It’s a shame that the average American won’t consider walking a trip that’s more than 10 minutes away (.25 mile).

Where am I going with this?

Nowhere really. Time for a rest. Another loose rule: Cancel something everyday. Doesn’t have to be something big, but can be. Just cancel it.

That all said, if you do get out this week, here are a few events to consider:

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What are you canceling today?

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Tuesday Cartoon

Three Delivery: 3 orphans trained in kung fu (功夫)  using cool bikes to battle the evil of Gong Li. They also deliver Chinese take out and make a lot of bad jokes…what else do you need?

This reminded me that I wanted to give a shout out to Traverse City’s Two Wheel Technique skills group. They meet every Tuesday to hone their handling and balancing on two wheels. Contact through the website to get current location. All ages and skill levels welcome.

So, have you popped a wheelie lately?

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