It’s about the journey. Journey’s confuse me.

I spend a lot of time at my desk every day reading emails, writing emails, on conference calls  and generally, just sitting. Sure, I do get away from the desk here and there – walking to some conference room named after a National Park or heading to the bathroom, because I drink too much coffee and water only to get freaked out by my well documented weird coworker peeing problems.

Spending so much time in the friendly confines of corporate America and my 6′ x 8′ polyester covered 3.5 walls makes me want to get outside every so often, just to get away. Luckily enough I’m in the awesome weather region of the Bay Area, California. So that means sometimes I can get out for a brief walk around the business park block. Not only does the fresh air feel good, but getting the blood flowing also helps me burn a few of those lunch calories. After all, keeping my figure is tough job.

Generally, I like to just walk and keep to myself – turning off the brain. But, on a recent walk I couldn’t help but notice there were many contrasts in the images I saw along the way. Let me splain…

There are many people walking around enjoying the outdoors. The sun. The, for the most part, fresh air. Being out in nature, or as close as you can get in a business park…hey, there’s trees! Yet, at the same time there’s always this one lady in long pants, long sleeve shirt, a hospital paper mask, gloves and one of those welder mask hats on. If you’re that afraid of what the great outdoors will do to you why the hell are you doing lunch power walking outside?

I aslo saw a lady, a mom actually, pushing a stroller with her child in it. Why they were in business park land I’m not sure, but I couldn’t help but notice that sweet moment. Maybe they had come to visit dad at work. Wait she’s giving me a dirty look. What’s up with that? I mean hey if you’re going to be a hot mom and wear yoga pants with a sports bra yeah, I’m probably going to stare a bit. How long is a bit anyway? No more than 4 or so minutes, probably. Anywhoo…

Then a few minutes later I saw another parent walking his child. Where do all of these kids come from and why are they hanging out in the land of cubicles? My thoughts of that earlier sweet moment were ruined, however. No hot mom didn’t slap me. This new over-achieving parent was unfortunately the anti-hot mom in yoga pants and a sports bra. This was some overweight, 50 something dad (granddad?), half bald, black sweat pant, no shirt wearing, fat gut guy.

Yeah I threw up in my mouth…more than a little. On the bright side it’s technically not bulimia if someone else makes you throw up right? Calories be damned!

Three miles later, ok it was probably 300 or so feet I came across a sign that peaking my interest. Yes, the simple things make me stop and think. Often I wonder, who the hell thought of that and why.

No Shit Sherlock!

Hmmm, I wonder where they put the sign that says “Gate Open”?

Onward! The journey must continue…

After that sign which clearly told me that my path was not going to go through those nicely painted chain link gates, I ventured onward.

But, then stopped dead in my tracks. “What do I do now,” I thought. “There’s no…sign!”

Maybe The World Ends Here?

As I stood there staring at the scene wondering, “Did they run out of cement?” And, thinking to myself, “I guess I need to turn around. My journey has come to an end. I’m feeling sidewalk-insecure. Guess, I’ll have to go back to the cube.” Someone spoke to me. It was soft at first, but clearly, someone or something was speaking to me, “You know you can just cross the street right?”

Huh, what? Yes, welder mask lady I could do that, but I think my journey has come to an end for today as I have worthless meetings to attend.

Emerson said that it’s the journey, not the destination that matters. In the case of my walks, clearly it’s the journey that’s more interesting around business park land  then the destination of my cube.