Life at 3 miles an Hour

There is something fascinating going on with the invention of 4 dollar gas. It’s a discussion really that has surfaced and every once in awhile takes hold for a short burst. It’s more of a psychological experiment if you ask me. As a trip to the gas station begins more and more to resemble the cost of a nice night out with my wife, talking heads are beginning to wonder, “what’s it going to take?”. What exactly is the tipping point from which normal people will veer from their normal behavior? In other words, how high will it have to go for people to alter their driving? In my opinion, if anyone cared to know, the answer to this would be the same as the answer to the age old question “How much is enough?” The answer of course is, “Just a little more”. We are always a bit in denial I think. We are always of the opinion that “it can’t get higher”, or “things can’t possibly get worse” and then they do. We treat politics like this. We treat relationships like this, and we certainl...

So I’m wondering this morning who exactly was it that came up with the very first uniform? What might the occasion have been to warrant such a distinctive look? What was the motivation for singling out one group from another by wardrobe choice? And who came up with the first little embroidered name tag? I’m wondering this as I sit here surrounded by them. There’s the barista look of the Starbucks partners. In the corner is the Port of Seattle Police uniforms, not to be mistaken with the Seattle PD. In walks the Metro uniform, not to be confused with Sound Transit. And of course, what Monday would be complete without the official uniform of the Northwest Native….. fleece, socks and sandals. Who was it that first decided that it might be a good idea to functionalize our attire so that there might be little or no confusion as to who we are and what we are supposed to be doing. Take the military for example. When was it determined that each branch would have a different look? W...

A significant part of me isn’t feeling much like writing this morning. I’d rather just sit quietly in my part of the world at the corner of Starbucks coffee and beach front view and do nothing much at all. I’d rather just” be” this morning. But the sun is up, the high clouds are filtering over the mountains, and the usuals are around, including me. So here I sit behind my keys. I’ve been doing this for so long, the writing thing I mean, that I’m beginning to lose focus on why I’m even doing it in the first place. There are plenty of perceptions that I’ve probably never really intended. Some people stop by here to catch up on random things that are going on in my life in the great North West. Some find common struggles and bizarre thought patterns which they can relate to. Once in awhile I can share an inspirational thought that has helped me along this journey and it may help them as well. Some read it and are totally bored. I understand. I get bored with me quite easily. ...

Have you ever stopped to contemplate the space key? It may seem like an odd question. Ok, so it is an odd question. I just happen to be appreciating it more than usual this morning. I think that the space key is underrated. Sure you can use it so that your sentences make sense. Without it, life would just be one continual word, kind of like reading ancient Greek or Hebrew text. You would have one continual red line through your computer screen. Do even get me started on how spell check would take place. I found another great function of the space key this morning. It’s not new, to be sure, and I’d have to be totally clueless to have not been aware of it before. It’s just that it has become even more valuable lately. Did you know that if you have an amount of text, any amount really, on a screen and it’s highlighted, one stroke of the space key will totally eliminate it? Of course you knew that. But do you understand the implications of it? The space key is the predecessor...