Journal
Waiting In A Parked Car
I’ll admit, waiting in a parked car can be somewhat awkward at times. After all, a car is meant to take you somewhere, it’s entire reason for existence designed to propel you forward in space to a destination of your choosing.
However, barring certain times of the year when temperatures would make sitting in a parked car unbearable, I don’t mind doing it. Sure, I may get a few strange looks from people leaving or entering their cars, but I’m simply waiting for my driver to return from their errand or predetermined task of the moment.
I don’t mind sitting in silence, observing that which is around me. For one, I am always interested in observing how things change as they are used. I do this with my running shoes all the time. The moment I take them out of the box, I turn them over and carefully examine the soles. I notice every nook, every bump and dimple in the rubber, because I know in a year’s time these soles will look very different. I take pleasure in observing this everyday occurrence.
Vehicles are perfect specimens for this sort of thing. I take note of new cars and old cars, scratches and bumps, dents and dings. I compare older and newer models of cars and take note of cyclical automative design trends.
On this particular day, in this particular car, I found myself in a somewhat industrialized area. I was surrounded by warehouses, machinery arranged in fenced in lots, and not much else. Then it happened. A plane flew by, really low, it’s landing gear was down.
I was near the airport. Observing planes at landing and take-off is another fascination of mine. I was lucky enough to witness at least 5 different planes come in for a landing. Each time I glanced towards the sky in awe, and each time as the plane left my field of vision the clouds, sun and sky were there to keep me company.
This was the view from my passenger window for those spare minutes. This was the sky each plane, an engineering feat of physics and science, danced across. I alone had this particular view, and it was delightful.
It’s worth remembering that sometimes it’s the little moments in-between our predetermined “destinations” that really make a trip special.