The Close Parker

It happens when we least expect it.

I was walking out of Starbucks, overpriced iced latte in hand.

When I looked up, I stopped dead in my tracks.

A driver had parked their car exceptionally close to mine.

I looked around in disbelief.

There were at least a dozen empty parking spots around us.

What in the—?

I felt a swell of frustration coming from my sneakers up through my duodenum.

I caught myself.

I hit the pause button, and I made a choice.

Rather than get sucked into a vortex of negativity, I turned to my creativity.

I challenged myself to come up with three reasons why this person chose to lovingly park so near mine.

1. They want me to appreciate how roomy my vehicle’s interior is by comparison.

2. They’re reminding me that I could stand to lose a few pandemic pounds.

3. They wanted to make sure I noticed the TJ Maxx receipt in their passenger seat since they know I love a great bargain.

Annoyances—minor and major—are going to crop up in your day.

You can’t control this.

But when they do, you CAN make a choice.

You can pause, remember that nobody deliberately set out to ruin your day, and choose a more constructive way forward.

You can choose to protect the promise of the day that awaits.

You set an example for others for when they inevitably face adversity.