Wednesday, September 22, 2010
My mornings must be really busy...
Today in class we discussed sidewalks and how they are linear and angular as apposed to a garden's winding path. We discussed how the latter encourages pondering and discovering the world around us while sidewalks are only for getting someplace. I noticed something about my daily routine while having that discussion. My backyard has a path leading from my back door to my garage. The path is winding, not straight. It is meant to look pretty and one could argue that it is also meant to encourage a more relaxed pace when walking on it. Even so, every morning I take the most direct route possible, walking in a perfectly straight line and ignoring the path (see screenshot below). It might only take a few extra seconds to avoid getting my shoes dirty from mud and take the path but instead I make a beeline for the door. Since we we're talking about how angles in a society and the way they think about roads and city structure say something about them, what does my way of getting to the garage from my house say about me?
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Emma, I know exactly what you are talking about! I, too, always look for the shortest route possible. "Time is of the essence" is what we seem to go by. Nobody bothers to slow down because everybody is always focused on getting to the next activity. I think even on vacation, the time when people are supposed to be "relaxed" people are so focused on doing things they don't otherwise normally get to do. I don't know if your getting to the garage reflects as much on you, as on Western culture. There is always something planned, something else to do next, never a time to just meander and see where things take you.
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