So this morning on my way to work I had an interesting experience. After I got off the bus, I walk to the end of the platform and there cross a crosswalk to get to the other side of the tracks. On my way to work I go across maybe 2-3 crosswalks. Well this morning I sat and waited at a crosswalk for about 3 minutes, waiting for the Red Hand of Warning to switch to the White Walker (that has nothing to do with race) of Freedom to tell me it is ok to cross. As I stood there, from the time I got to the end of the platform, people would wait a couple seconds, see it's clear, and then cross even though the hand said "No!"

I wondered what the difference was between these people and the people that stood with me the duration of the time until the walker appeared. Is it we are so caught up in society and a sense of blind obedience that we will wait until the sign says go because that is what we are supposed to do? Do the others have a rebel personality that screams anti-conformity? Are they really in such a hurry that cannot wait or do they just not want to? Do I and others fear the 1 in a 1,000,000 chance that a police officer will be there and decide today he was handing out jaywalking tickets? Do these others have a different neurological setup that leads them to be more willing to take risk or put themselves in dangerous situations (*see this month's issue of Outside's article "This is Your Brain on Adventure")?

What I realized is this... some days I will stand there and wait for the light, others I will cross and oppose the counsel of the red hand of danger. It largely depends on how late am I for work, is everybody else crossing (yes I still often do what everybody else is doing... not quite jumping off a bridge but you get the idea), or if it's cold and windy.

Today I stood there, for 3 minutes. Why? This was my quiet before the storm. Yes there were cars driving by, people talking, but I knew once I walked into my job, it was going to be busy, probably frustrating, and I'd probably be burnt out by the end of the day (NOW! Hence why I'm writing this entry). This was my chance to appreciate the great city I work in. Get nice (not really, but at night it's a really cool shot) photos like the one above.

I feel like often in our lives we are so caught up in the world spinning around us, that we forget to stop and "smell the roses." It is cliche but it has some value. We often get so enveloped in what is going on that we fail to stop and take 3 minutes to do absolutely nothing, just stand there, waiting for the hand to magically become a walking man (or woman). In the next few months as I continue my job, I'm sure there are some days that I will cross even though I am told not to by the red hand and society. I also know though, that I will appreciate those short breaks I get from the world and can appreciate what I have been blessed with, what I have to appreciate in life, and that quietness we so often find when we stop and stand.