Walking more, Driving less

Since the car I was using died, I have been doing miles of walking, which is simple and enjoyable and built right into my day. I like it much better than my other mode with a car, which is to PLAN to walk, but not leaving enough time and then driving instead.

My two best finds while walking on Tuesday were a eucalyptus pod and an acorn. It was my first spotting of a pod with fuzz. The acorns here are decidedly different from East Coast acorns. They're long and thin, and their caps are fuzzy and tight.

I borrowed the car today by taking Syl to work and then picking her up. I have to be much more alert driving around here, around San Jose. Traffic customs are different from home. I am in unfamiliar territory and have to watch street signs closely, be prepared to switch lanes, make mistakes, retrace my steps, etc. In short, it's more stressful.

It's a good thing, though. I know that stress plays an important part in our lives and I like it that I am forced to learn new things, to cope in a new environment, to familiarize myself with new maps and neighborhoods and streets.

We seniors can lapse all too easily into a comfort zone and then stay there. We need to court stress and try new things, especially those things that make us anxious. I kind of liked being alone doing this driving as I could make mistakes without any riders panicking or shouting out directions. Though recently I did take another senior to the movies and she was a great morale booster as her contributions were to say, "We'll do fine! We'll figure it out! Go as slow as you like and don't worry about it!"

Though I wasn't using a gps today, I DO find it gives GREAT COURAGE, perhaps a false sense of confidence.