Driving is a Skill
I drove to San Francisco. From Seattle. I intended the trip to occupy two days, but I forgot that I have history driving long distances. For instance……..from San Francisco to Phoenix. Tucson, Arizona to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Or San Francisco to Virginia Beach, Virginia.
I get in the car, and I drive. And drive. And drive until the trip is done. Because, I don’t actually like to drive. So the shortest route, the fastest legal (really?) speed, and the most endurance that I can comfortably handle, is how I drive. As long as I feel mentally sharp, and I am not tired, I drive. I stop at rest stops. Coffee. Bathroom. Lunch. Bathroom. But mainly, I drive. I turn the radio up, roll the window down, and sing at the top of my lungs. This, to entertain myself. I don’t actually like to drive. Did I mention that?
Driving is boring, but flying 816 miles is worse. By the time I awaken, dress, drive to the airport, fly to San Francisco, rent a car, and arrive at my destination, six hours pass. Driving in my car, in the same time, I am half way to my destination, without the hassle of waiting lines, rude airport security, X-Ray, removing my shoes and jacket and computer, noisy kids on the flight, pushy baggage handlers, and hoping that I packed enough clothes. In my car, I just take everything. It all fits.
I planned the drive for two days, with a layover midway through. I forgot that I have history driving. And I have practiced skill doing it. It was barely noon when I was half way to San Francisco No point in getting a room; it’s still daylight, and what would I do in Medford, Oregon? I continued driving. OK, maybe just over the Siskiyou Pass, I reasoned, at the southern end of Oregon, I will stop. And I would have, except that it was 2pm, and I wasn’t tired. It was still daylight, and what would I do in Dunsmuir, California? By the time that I did start to feel tired, I was within two hours of my destination. No point in stopping; I might as well finish the drive. And so I did.
Driving is a skill, like everything else. Being smart about it is paying attention to how you feel, hydrating and eating, getting out of the car periodically for rest stops that don’t necessarily involve buying gas or using the bathroom. Not being bored when you drive is important; hence the loud music and singing. I practice movement drills when I stop: moving my eyes, stretching, standing on one foot for balance, some expanded breathing, and moving all the joints in my body. Not just driving, this can apply to any episode of sitting for long periods of time. Ok, so maybe you don’t drive long distances, but how often do you take a break from hunching over the computer, or sitting for long periods of time in lectures, on planes, or at your desk? It’s the same reasoning. Sitting (and driving) is a skill. It takes practice. Learn to do it well without discomfort, and without feeling aches and pains every time you stand. The body is wholistic: everything impacts everything else. We ask our bodies to sit for long periods of time; the body talks back through fatigue, pain, soreness, stiffness. When we don’t take breaks, it can be hard to get moving. Your body is talking to you. Are you listening?
Pay attention to the dialog that goes on between you and your body, and learn to manage it so you can keep moving all through life, not just when you are young.
That’s Aging Intelligently.