Going Nowhere

Rarely do I have an opportunity for purposeless activity.

If I’m running, I’m training.

If I’m driving, I’m going to work, grocery shopping, or to some sort of appointment.

If I’m reading, I’m studying.

If I’m at the computer, I’m working or writing.

Even my free time is filled with purpose.

Our lives have become solely purposeful and activity oriented. The old saying, “Stop and smell the roses” is a cliché because actually stopping to smell the roses is cliché. Who has time for that?

Last week, the extended quarantine and social distancing gave me a case of the “mean reds” as Holly Golightly would say. In order to combat them, I decided to do, well, nothing. For me, nothing meant getting out my bicycle and climbing aboard. I just put my foot on the pedal, swung my other leg over, and left. I didn’t need to go anywhere, and since I ran pretty hard yesterday, exercise was not the intent.

I went nowhere.

Here’s where “nowhere” took me.

I kind of liked it.

In fact, I think I’ll go nowhere again soon.