Sorry, but someone else is going to have to take on the burden of saving the world. Carpooling, apparently, is not for me.
My commute to work takes around 30 minutes. In August, someone from work moved into my neighborhood, and asked if I'd be interested in carpooling. I clapped my hands and jumped for joy and said yes, of course I would. For the first few days, it seemed too convenient to be true. Then within two weeks, three other people had joined our carpool, and carpooling got slightly more complicated. Still it seemed worth it. Yes, there were trade-offs to be made, but carpooling was saving me an increasing amount of money and was making my environmental ego increasingly healthy.
Then one Friday, I had to drive to work alone, because I needed to make some stops after work. This is what I learned on that Friday:
(1) I pretty much hate carpooling.
(2) Those 10 extra minutes of sleep are a really great 10 minutes.
(3) I prefer not to be expected to socialize at 7 a.m.
(4) Sometimes it is nice to actually hear what I am listening to in the car.
(5) It makes me really happy to be able to leave when the workday is over, instead of a half hour after the work day is over, which turns into 45 minutes, which turns into an hour....
(6) I do not like taking the toll road like everyone else. I like taking the old two-lane highway. It has more hills and turns, and the scenery is fantastic. It makes the drive seem less like a yucky industrial commute and more like a Sunday afternoon joy ride.
(7) I love having those few minutes in the car to myself every day. It keeps me sane.
And so it happened that as I was riding along in the carpool one day last week, I blurted out at a random point in an unrelated conversation, "I'm not carpooling after this week!" I did it with a little more volume and enthusiasm than I probably meant to use, but I couldn't take it back. It was out there. And I'm undeniably glad. Today I left work 2 minutes early, and I listened to the same song 3 times in a row on the way home, and I sang along obnoxiously, and I reveled in it. Well worth the cost, I'd say.
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8 comments:
Beautifully done! Sing your guts out-I'm proud of you!
I can totally see you in the car blurting that out. It's like a movie in my head, and a very funny one.
P.S. Someone from Lawrence, KS asked me what time Target closes. Was that you?
As always, you crack me up and I have to say, I actually linked to your blog this very moment to post the comment that there is a shocking lack of blogg-age going on in the Woodlands, if you pick up what I am throwing down, so good work. Love your posts!
You spoke my mind! Except that I am still carpooling(to school.) It gets old when you drive with two men who just want to talk about why God doesn't exist all the time and why the mormon church is a load. That's annoying. Too bad for them, when it was my turn to drive this last time they were forced to listen to my ipod, my podcasts, rush limbaugh, and which general conference talks I thought were the best. ha. I think we'll be having more even conversations from here on out.
In total agreement! I love to sing in the car--and listen to songs over and over again! If I had to carpool everyday--I think I'd go insane!
Also--I want to know where you two went to see all those butterflies? Looks way fun!
Mary P.
I say it's your commute, so you should be able to enjoy it the best you can! I love that you "sang along obnoxiously"...sounds like fun!
Glad for your little happiness of solo driving :)
At least you gave carpooling a try, right?
Hey- Long time no see! I've heard that your blogs are hillarious from Whitney, so glad I finally get to see. I hope it's ok that I added you to my blog, it's so fun finding out what you have been up to! Take care and keep in touch:)
Leilani
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