Business Park Lake Loop
Run Time: 61:36 + 2-minute kick
Somewhat confined by the urban sprawl of the Chicago area, and trying to adhere to my policy of no driving to a run location, I settled on a paved path that looped around two man-made “lakes” in a business park a block away from the hotel. A strip mall bordered one section, so I cut across behind a car wash rather than follow the sidewalk around the parking lot.
It was not the most natural of riparian settings, but I can appreciate the effort. An algae-laden pond beats asphalt any day. A small flock of geese hung around one end of the southern pond, doing what they do best – shitting. A rather forlorn heavy-set white guy came out and sat on a park bench staring at the still water for ten minutes. A younger, more fit man walked a dog. The traffic from I-80 and nearby rush-hour streets was loud, but I had my headphones on.
I stayed on the grass as much as possible. Make it a ritual. Not a routine, not a habit — a ritual. Running on the grass just off the asphalt is one of my rituals. Listening to music while running, to podcasts while walking, is one of my rituals. Rituals bring meaning to ordinary activity, and they free the mind from making decisions.
Driving around Chicago is not my favorite. It teases a little with pockets of nature and clean hamlets, but it remains the center of commerce and industry that counteracts peace and tranquility. Drivers, in particular, seem to be in a hurry there. Why, I ask? How fast do you need to race toward meaninglessness? Aggressive drivers lead petty lives – that is only a hypothesis, one not worth researching.
A lot of existing and potential business for us in the Chicago area — hence my 3 days here. Selling product to people selling product to people towing cars of people who drive aggressively. It’s not a Sisyphus gig, but it lacks poetry.
Don't Make It a Habit. Make It a Ritual. 